Anyone Heard of "SERV"

[Higginbo]

I went to the local library today, and they had a display for national preparedness month (September). They had some brochures for SERV-IN which is the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers- INdiana. Has anyone ever heard of this and/or is part of it? Their website (below) doesn't have a ton of details, but it sounds interesting. I'm all for supporting the community in a disaster, and our area doesn't have a CERT as far as I know. Just curious if anyone has any experience with this. It did say Indiana Department of Health on the flier, which I thought was interesting, as I would have assumed it was a Homeland Security program.

https://www.serv-in.org/index.php

 

[Justus]

I went to the local library today, and they had a display for national preparedness month (September). They had some brochures for SERV-IN which is the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers- INdiana. Has anyone ever heard of this and/or is part of it? Their website (below) doesn't have a ton of details, but it sounds interesting. I'm all for supporting the community in a disaster, and our area doesn't have a CERT as far as I know. Just curious if anyone has any experience with this. It did say Indiana Department of Health on the flier, which I thought was interesting, as I would have assumed it was a Homeland Security program.

https://www.serv-in.org/index.php

Interesting... reading between the lines it looks to me like they really want the medical types.
I bet they shuffle the others around to CERT or the Red Cross.
I attempted to volunteer with our EMA after 9/11 and quickly learned that our county isn't too serious about wanting the "common" folk.

 

[AngryRooster]

Interesting... reading between the lines it looks to me like they really want the medical types.
I bet they shuffle the others around to CERT or the Red Cross.
I attempted to volunteer with our EMA after 9/11 and quickly learned that our county isn't too serious about wanting the "common" folk.

Same here. I sent a few emails to to our county (Randolph) asking about CERT and becoming a volunteer a few years ago. They sat in the inbox for a few months then one day I got a notice from a read receipt that they had been deleted without being opened. I drove in there and asked in person about volunteering and was immediately grilled with various questions about why I was asking, what my intentions were & what I was planning to do. These were asked in a suspicious and insulting tone, it felt like I was being interrogated. I told him that I was interested in volunteering and was trying to get more information. After a few more questions it was clear to me that I was not wanted and was not welcome. It was only at this point I mentioned the deleted emails. He seemed taken back a little bit and told me that he had deleted over 1000 emails that morning trying to clean up the mail boxes. I told him that I hoped none of them were important.

I don't have any faith in our county DHS. Aside from the new custom painted SUV that gets driven around and taken home I haven't seen much from them.

My father retired from the Post Office several years ago after 20+ years of carrying mail in Winchester. He knows most of the people in town and most know him. He told me right up front when I showed interest that because of the people involved it would be a waste of time, he was right. I went into the office clean cut, dressed in a polo as is typical for me. I had a copy of all my papers in the car that I could go get if needed. They included my DD214 (Army Vet with a combat tour in Panama and another one with the 101st for Shield/Storm), my General HAM ticket, the FEMA Professional Development Series & NIMS certificates. I guess I wasn't drinking buddies with the right people.

I wish this county luck if they are ever really needed.

 

[Justus]

I guess I wasn't drinking buddies with the right people.

I wish this county luck if they are ever really needed.

Yep. We have a new county director now but I will never attempt to volunteer for any governmental organization again.

 

[AngryRooster]

Yep. We have a new county director now but I will never attempt to volunteer for any governmental organization again.

I called around to the other surroundings counties after this happened asking for information. There were a couple that said they would be thrilled if I came over. Unfortunately that drive is about an hour one way for me to get to the meetings and I'm not familiar much with the rest of the county, outside of the main city that is. I've lived in my county for most of my life excluding my time in the Military and a single year when my wife and I lived a bit outside of Anderson. We both hated that. Now we are back home and own a 200+ acre farm so we aren't going anywhere.

It might be worth it to check with the other counties around you if you are still interested and they are close enough.

 

[freekforge]

If you guys still want to help out you can join the IGR and get CERT NIMS MEMS training and have an opportunity with them and the local ema may want your help if you have that stuff

 

[AngryRooster]

It was the Randolph Co HSEM that my dealings were with, that is all we have in our county as far as I know. I'm not really interested in the IGR. This would be a good option for someone a bit younger that doesn't mind doing that kind of thing. I did my time with the military and am done with that. If there is a major disaster or need in my county then I will help out with communication any way I can, but it will be done on MY terms from MY property since I'm not allowed to play those reindeer games.

 

[freekforge]

Understandable. I am going to a drill in october for IGR just because I have to do something. I have two cousins joining the military (one just left yesterday) and i feel horrible about not being able to join federal.

I try to help out as much as I can during emergencies but every once in a while i will run into that jerk EMA guy that runs everyone off.

 

[Compatriot G]

I called around to the other surroundings counties after this happened asking for information. There were a couple that said they would be thrilled if I came over. Unfortunately that drive is about an hour one way for me to get to the meetings and I'm not familiar much with the rest of the county, outside of the main city that is. I've lived in my county for most of my life excluding my time in the Military and a single year when my wife and I lived a bit outside of Anderson. We both hated that. Now we are back home and own a 200+ acre farm so we aren't going anywhere.

It might be worth it to check with the other counties around you if you are still interested and they are close enough.

Did you contact the Henry County EMA? I volunteer for them and we could use more Hams for our RACES group. Right now, we have 5 ham radio operators. This includes our assistant EMA director. Here is a link to our website:

Henry County Emergency Management Agency/DHS, Indiana

 

[Double T]

Yep, I've heard of them. And I get phonecalls requesting me to go places in the events of a catastrophe/disaster. When I tell them I'm the sole breadwinner and tell them no, they get all pissed and beg. Then I hang up. IF something were to occur in Indiana that I could commute to and from for a few days, I would probably help. If not, then I really have to pay the bills.

 

[AngryRooster]

Did you contact the Henry County EMA? I volunteer for them and we could use more Hams for our RACES group. Right now, we have 5 ham radio operators. This includes our assistant EMA director. Here is a link to our website:

Henry County Emergency Management Agency/DHS, Indiana

I haven't contacted Henry County due to the distance. I'm on the East side of Randolph County and that's quite a drive. I'm also not familiar with the county at all since I usually don't drive through there. It's something to keep in mind. I'm thinking about Darke County even though it's Ohio.

I really need to get some more medical training. I've got some various training from several jobs in the past but it's been quite some time. Back in the day I was a guard at a couple of the GM plants. We got training in First Aid/CPR, AED, basic fire training, chemical response including SCBA and cleanup, & confined space rescue as well as some others. In the workplace I've dealt with severed fingers, someone who dropped a utility knife on their foot and cut an artery then passed out in a pool of blood at the machine, several broken bones, a few small fires, a nasty chemical spill of a substance called TDI. It's the chemical that is put into the headrests to make the foam so it is harder. It mixes with CO2 if I remember right then crystallizes, it will do the same thing in a lung and is safe to a whopping 3 PPB and someone spilled a 5 gallon bucket on the floor. We had to mask up and cleanup was about 11 hours in a sealed room. I even had one death to deal with involving a forklift in Anderson. That one was real bad, the only good thing about it was he was killed instantly with no suffering.
Some of my jobs since then have refreshed the First Aid/CPR/AED, most have not.

On a side note, I've been working on a version of this for portable communications. It's mostly completed.

VHF Self Contained Go-Box...aka: The AK47 Box.... - Page 1 - AR15.COM

 

[ChalupaCabras]

I tried to get involved with CERT a while back. I got ahold of a guy who took my contact info, and then nothing ever materialized.

Wonder if this group is any better organized?

 

[bdybdall]

Seems like CERT training is on the backburner. I'm a member of my countys' Medical Reseve Corp. and the countys' Community Organizations Active in Disaster but can't get CERT.

 

[chubbs]

What's the fitness requirements for the IGR?