I sincerely wish to thank the many volunteer citizens who stepped forward during our January storm event to aid their fellow community members.
I am of course referring to our Volunteers-in-Policing, our Community Emergency Response Team, our Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services members, and most especially those non-affiliated folks who saw a need and pitched in without being asked.
Our VIPs, CERT, and RACES members are community members who regularly volunteer hundreds and thousands of hours of their personal time in service to both the police department and our community.
They enroll in special training classes provided by the department and develop new skills required for their volunteer roles: first-aid and CPR certifications, light search and rescue techniques, crime and disaster prevention and preparedness, traffic direction and control, police and amateur radio communications, amateur television broadcasting, and a host of other topics important to their roles.
During the three-day weather event from Jan. 19 to 21, our VIPs and CERT members served in our Emergency Operations Center as message and mail runners, moved support trailers and vehicles from place to place as required, staffed sand bagging stations to assist the public, and kept supplies moving logistically to meet public safety needs.
Our RACES volunteers provided amateur radio (HAM) links between all of the work station volunteers, the city’s emergency operations center, and the county emergency operations center.
The non-affiliated folks I referred to above were those citizens who maybe watched TV reports of the event unfolding, or who drove past the uniformed volunteers and observed their activities. Or perhaps they were those who, with great big open hearts and strong backs, just came out to provide muscle at the sandbagging stations loading thousands of sandbags in the cold and rain, for the benefit of others they will never know.
Others dropped off hot food and drink for those working in the cold. As your mayor, I salute you. I don’t know who you are, but you do. Please know I am proud you are members of our community and I am proud of your selfless donation of your time and energy!
David Sloan
Mayor of Seal Beach
