{"id":431,"date":"2025-12-10T20:43:44","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T04:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/?page_id=431"},"modified":"2026-03-08T19:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T02:10:10","slug":"salem-reporter","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/salem-reporter\/","title":{"rendered":"Salem Reporter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since late 2024, Mark Wardell<\/a> has been contributing a monthly column to the Salem Reporter<\/a> dedicated to community resilience and safety. These articles cover general preparedness topics relevant to the Mid-Willamette Valley from how to become ‘2 Weeks Ready<\/strong>‘ and safely managing local hazards from ice storms to earthquakes, and also practical tips like financial preparedness and utility shut-off knowledge. Each column also provides updates on Salem CERT activities and explains why getting trained is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 4, 2026: Think beyond freeze-dried when planning emergency food<\/strong><\/a>
Over the last couple of months, we have laid the foundation for a more resilient 2026. We\u2019ve talked about water, stocked up on proteins, and mapped out our emergency communication plans. But as any CERT volunteer will tell you, surviving a disaster isn\u2019t just about calories; it\u2019s about nutrition, comfort, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 30, 2026: Salem\u2019s Community Emergency Response Team needs you<\/strong><\/a>
Last month, we kicked off our 2026 resolution to become\u00a0\u201c2 Weeks Ready\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0by focusing on the physical essentials: water, light, and basic tools. This month, we\u2019re shifting gears to the most important tool in your kit your plan. While supplies keep you comfortable, a plan keeps you safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 5, 2026: Commit to being “2 Weeks Ready”<\/strong><\/a>
As we enter 2026, this article encourages a New Year\u2019s resolution focused on building household resilience by working toward the “2 weeks ready” survival baseline. It provides a practical January checklist, guiding readers through essential first steps like securing a 14-day water supply, testing manual tools, and ensuring reliable emergency lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 2, 2025: Celebrating Graduation & Looking Ahead<\/a><\/strong>
As the year winds down, we celebrate the accomplishments of our Fall 2025 graduating class and share a special holiday message. This update also includes a “December Checklist” for winter safety and a preview of our exciting goals for 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 7, 2025: Community Outreach & Storm Readiness<\/a><\/strong>
November\u2019s columns focus on the next generation and seasonal hazards. Learn about our partnership with Eagle Charter School and get essential tips on how to prepare your home and family for the upcoming ice and wind storm season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 3, 2025: Fall Training & Earthquake Awareness<\/a><\/strong>
October was all about action! We kicked off our Fall CERT training and highlighted major regional events like the Great ShakeOut and Oregon\u2019s “Great Camp-In” to encourage household readiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 3, 2025: Strengthening the Plan & National Preparedness<\/a><\/strong>
September is National Preparedness Month, and we are marking the occasion with the second half of our deep dive into creating a comprehensive family emergency plan. This update also provides registration details for the upcoming Fall 2025 CERT class for those ready to take the next step in their training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 28, 2025: Foundations of a Family Plan & Community Night Out<\/a><\/strong>
This month kicks off a two-part series on building a family emergency plan that actually works. We also recap the excitement of National Night Out and discuss how community connections form the backbone of local resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 3, 2025: One Year of Preparedness & Completing the Journey<\/a><\/strong>
Celebrating one year and one month of sharing preparedness tips with Salem! This milestone includes a high-level overview of family emergency planning and the final weeks (48\u201352) of our year-long “2 Weeks Ready” roadmap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 6, 2025: Evacuations & Real-World Readiness<\/a><\/strong>
What happens when you have to leave? We tackle your questions about emergency evacuations and share a full report from the Spring 2025 CERT Deployment Exercise. Plus, we continue our “2 Weeks Ready” journey with tasks for weeks 44 through 47.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 2, 2025: Expert Insights on Evacuation & Go-Bags<\/a><\/strong>
Salem\u2019s City Emergency Manager joins us to answer critical questions about evacuation procedures. We also break down the essentials of a “Go-Bag,” explain evacuation levels, and keep the momentum going with weeks 38\u201341 of the “2 Weeks Ready” plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 30, 2025: The Heart of a Volunteer & Spring Training<\/a><\/strong>
As our Spring 2025 training class begins, I reflect on my personal journey and the reasons “Why I Joined CERT.” This update also covers weeks 34\u201337 of our preparedness countdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 4, 2025: Systems of Alert & Emergency Management<\/a><\/strong>
Knowledge is power when it comes to alerts. This month, we summarize the emergency alert systems for Marion and Polk Counties and conclude our overview of the “2 Weeks Ready” Emergency Management unit. We also dive into weekly tasks for weeks 30\u201333.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

January 31, 2025: Empowerment Through First Aid<\/strong>
<\/a>Starting the year strong, we cover the “2 Weeks Ready” First-Aid plan and explore how CERT empowers our local community. We also check in on our progress with weeks 26\u201329 of the year-long plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 27, 2024: Shelter Basics & Final Training Calls<\/a><\/strong>
As the year ends, we focus on the “2 Weeks Ready” Shelter Plan and issue a final call for the upcoming CERT training class. We also wrap up December\u2019s tasks for weeks 22\u201325.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 3, 2024: Hygiene, Waste, and New Beginnings<\/a><\/strong>
Proper hygiene and waste management are critical during a disaster; this month, we explore Unit 5 of the “2 Weeks Ready” plan. We also announce the January 2025 CERT class and outline tasks for weeks 18\u201321.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 30, 2024: The Essential Water Plan<\/strong>
<\/a>Water is the most vital resource in any kit. We dive deep into the “2 Weeks Ready” Water Plan\u2014covering purification and storage\u2014and share the dates for our January 2025 training. Weekly tasks for weeks 14\u201317 are also included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 26, 2024: Drills, Food, and Fall Preparedness<\/a><\/strong>
September was a busy month featuring the Great ShakeOut and the Great Camp-In. We also started our look at the “2 Weeks Ready” Food Plan and covered the foundational tasks for weeks 10\u201313.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 28, 2024: Building Your Personal Strategy<\/a><\/strong>
This month focuses on Unit 2 of the “2 Weeks Ready” plan: Your Emergency Plan. We move beyond the basics with targeted tasks for weeks 6 through 9 to keep your progress on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 25, 2024: Preparing to Prepare<\/a><\/strong>
The journey begins! We kick off our overview of the Oregon “2 Weeks Ready” plan with Unit 1, “Preparing to Prepare,” and lay out the first five weeks of actionable steps for your household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 24, 2024: Welcome to CERT & 2 Weeks Ready<\/a><\/strong>
In our inaugural columns, we introduce the Salem community to the CERT program and the concept of being “2 Weeks Ready.” We also share how CERT can come to your group or organization to speak about local resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since late 2024, Mark Wardell has been contributing a monthly column to the Salem Reporter dedicated to community resilience and safety. These articles cover general preparedness topics relevant to the Mid-Willamette Valley from how to become ‘2 Weeks Ready‘ and safely managing local hazards from ice storms to earthquakes, and also practical tips like financial […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-431","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=431"}],"version-history":[{"count":23,"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/431\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":521,"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/431\/revisions\/521"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/salemoregoncert.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}