[Water_news] 1. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS - Top Items for 1/11/08

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment

 

January 11, 2008

 

1.  Top Items

 

Corps prepares for peril; Members ready to help out in floods - San Bernardino Sun

 

Special training for weather emergencies - KABC Channel 7 news (Los Angeles)

 

 

Corps prepares for peril; Members ready to help out in floods

San Bernardino Sun – 1/10/08

By Gina Tenorio, staff writer

 

HIGHLAND - Standing on the slope behind the Inland Empire Center of the California Conservation Corps classroom, a group of uniformed young adults got a much-deserved pat on the back.

 

"You did a really good job given that the materials we used were not what we wanted," Rick Burnett, flood fight specialist with the California Department of Water Resources, told the group Thursday.

 

About 20 members of the corps spent much of the morning in a classroom at the corps' Inland Center office learning to properly fill sand bags and protect areas from erosion.

 

It was part of an annual training for both new and current corps members in preparation for winter storms, said Jimmy Galvan, conservation supervisor.

 

"Remember," Galvan told the group as they prepared to leave. "Something could happen tomorrow or the next day. We call you and you could be headed up north."

 

Should an emergency arise, the corps members are called upon to grab their gear - called a ready bag - and head sometimes hundreds of miles to remote areas to lay protective tarps, dig ditches, place fencing or hand out emergency items to people in need.

 

The members are young adults, ages 18 to 25, who work for minimum wage. Corps rules say no one over the age 25 can enroll.

 

"The program gives (trainees) a sense of direction," said Scot Schmier, a conservation specialist.

 

And they give back to the community by doing hard, sometimes backbreaking work.

 

To 20-year-old Dashawn Hampton of San Bernardino, that sounded just fine.

 

"The corps is an adventure," Hampton said. "I joined 'cause I want to see the world."

 

And like many others, Hampton says the corps has offered a personal satisfaction that is hard to find anywhere else.

 

"To be able to help people and the look on people's faces is something," said Candace Irvine, 19, of Highland.

 

A high school dropout, Irvine said the corps has motivated her to finish school.

 

"I was homeless, but now I have an apartment," she said.

 

Corps member Marina Farfan, 20, of San Bernardino also had scholastic struggles but is now on her way to finishing school, thanks to a renewed sense of confidence she said she got from working with the corps.

 

"I need something that I can get into," Farfan said.

 

Like Irvine, she is now working to earn her diploma. She said she sees her future with the corps.

 

"I need to be able to get out and be outside," Farfan said. "And this does that for me. I like breaking a sweat." #

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_7939657

 

 

Special training for weather emergencies

KABC Channel 7 news (Los Angeles) – 1/10/08

By Subha Ravindhran

 

WILL ROGERS STATE BEACH (KABC) -- Last week's storms proved just how prone Southern California is to floods and mudslides. One group is getting prepared for the next round of wet weather.

 

It's a heavy job, but someone has to do it.

 

About 75 members of the Conservation Corps gathered on Thursday at the beach to train how to fight a flood.

 

"We do this training twice a year. What we do is we train here so in case the floods come or if it rains, we can respond," Margaret Moilov of the California Conservation Corps said.

 

If there is any sort of disaster, these crews may be the first to respond to a call from the governor's office.

They're learning everything from sandbag stacking techniques to teamwork.

 

"Everyone has to be working together. Everybody has an actual thing that they have to do, so team work is a big, big thing," Christian Herrera said.

 

In the event of a flood, Corps members may build a sandbag ring that collects water in the center and can prevent levees from collapsing.

 

"That's our main focus, protecting the levees," Simone Glosson said.

 

Last week's storms put homeowners on edge in Southern California. Although there were no major problems, residents in Orange County and Santa Clarita were prepared with sandbags.

 

Workers at the training camp say it's something residents should continue to do.

 

"Always be prepared. Whenever they hear the news that there's going to be rain or storms coming in they need to start preparing and getting sandbags for their homes," Herrera said.

 

In the event of an emergency, these guys will take care of the rest. #

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=weather&id=5883891

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