Introduction
Following a major disaster,
first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet
the demand for these services. Factors as number of victims, communication
failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency
services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will
have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life
saving and life sustaining needs.
One also expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members, fellow
employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other. This was
the case following the Mexico City earthquake where untrained, spontaneous
volunteers saved 800 people. However, 100 people lost their lives while
attempting to save others. This is a high price to pay and is preventable
through training.
If we can predict that
emergency services will not meet immediate needs following a major disaster,
especially if there is no warning as in an earthquake, and people will
spontaneously volunteer, what can government do to prepare citizens for this
eventuality?
First, present citizens the
facts about what to expect following a major disaster in terms of immediate
services. Second, give the message about their responsibility for mitigation
and preparedness. Third, train them in needed life saving skills with emphasis
on decision making skills, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the
greatest number. Fourth, organize teams so that they are an extension of first
responder services offering immediate help to victims until professional
services arrive.
Background
The Community Emergency
Response Team concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City
Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987
underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it
confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs. As a
result, the LAFD created the Disaster Preparedness Division with the purpose of
training citizens and private and government employees.
The training program that
LAFD initiated makes good sense and furthers the process of citizens
understanding their responsibility in preparing for disaster. It also increases
their ability to safely help themselves, their family and their neighbors. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes the importance of
preparing citizens. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National
Fire Academy adopted and expanded the CERT materials believing them applicable
to all hazards.
The CERT course will
benefit any citizen who takes it. This individual will be better prepared to
respond to and cope with the aftermath of a disaster. Additionally, if a
community wants to supplement its response capability after a disaster,
civilians can be recruited and trained as neighborhood, business, and
government teams that, in essence, will be auxiliary responders. These groups
can provide immediate assistance to victims in their area, organize spontaneous
volunteers who have not had the training, and collect disaster intelligence
that will assist professional responders with prioritization and allocation of
resources following a disaster. Since 1993 when this training was made
available nationally by FEMA, communities in 28 States and Puerto Rico have
conducted CERT training.
Delivery
The CERT course is
delivered in the community by a team of first responders who have the requisite
knowledge and skills to instruct the sessions. The trainers for Beaver
County will be Wes Hill, Wayne Harley, Kevin Joy, Beaver County Deputy
Director, Jane Blanarik, a 911 dispatcher, Sgt. James Essek, Harmony Township
Police Sgt. And Mike Siegal, Center Township Fire Marshal. The instructors have already completed a CERT
Train-the-Trainer (TTT) conducted by their State Training Office for Emergency
Management or the Emergency Management Institute in order to learn the training
techniques that are used successfully by the LAFD.
The CERT training for
community groups is usually delivered in 2 1/2 hour sessions, one evening a
week over a 7 week period. The training consists of the following:
· Session I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS:
Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials
cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and
after a disaster. As the session progresses, the instructor begins to explore
an expanded response role for civilians in that they should begin to consider
themselves disaster workers. Since they will want to help their family members
and neighbors, this training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate
manner. The CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable
laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.
· Session II, DISASTER FIRE
SUPPRESSION: Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards,
and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the
safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities,
and extinguishing a small fire.
· Session III, DISASTER MEDICAL
OPERATIONS PART I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway
obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment
techniques.
· Session IV, DISASTER MEDICAL
OPERATIONS, PART II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe
assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid,
and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.
· Session V, LIGHT SEARCH AND
RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about search and rescue planning,
size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer
safety.
· Session VI, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY
AND TEAM ORGANIZATION: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by
the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management
principles and the need for documentation.
· Session VII, COURSE REVIEW
AND DISASTER SIMULATION: Participants review their answers from a take home
examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during
the previous six sessions in disaster activity.
Conclusion
CERT is about readiness,
people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the
greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and
disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their
actions can make a difference. Through training, citizens can manage utilities
and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways,
controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search
for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous
volunteers to be effective.
Registration for a course
Interested members of the Beaver County ARES/RACES program may register by calling 724-775-1700 . Let them know that you would like to be added to the list to take the CERT Training course and possibly which location you would like to attend. Give your name, address and telephone number. Following your registration, you will receive a letter in the mail with final details and information about the course before it starts. There will be a total of 6 locations in Beaver County where the course will be offered. Only two have been announced so far. They are as follows:
April 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th – Harmony Township Fire Hall – 4 hours per evening – Total 16 Hours – (Monday Evenings)
May 3rd & 4th Grace Luthern Church 393 Adams Street Rochester, Pa. May 3rd - (Saturday) 8AM to 5PM May 4th - (Sunday) 12 noon to 5 PM
Additional CERT classes will be in Chippewa Twp. and Independence Twp. with Date, Time & Place to be announced at a later date. Watch this page for additional information as it becomes available. We would like to see as many ARES/RACES Amateur Radio Operators take one of the CERT classes here in Beaver County as possible.
As soon as additional locations are announced, this
information will be on the Beaver County Public Service Net, the Triple “A”
A.R.A. 2 Meter Net on Monday evenings and also on this web site. The course is FREE. There is no
charge. If anyone needs additional information or does not understand
something, you are asked to call the Beaver County Emergency Coordinator, Dave
Leiser, K3NPX at 724-728-0784. Both
Frank, N3TN, Beaver County Radio Officer and myself recommend that as many as
possible, if not everyone take this course.
You will be playing a dual roll with the CERT Program as well as being
the communications person in your area and providing a valuable service to your
community.
If for some reason you are not able to make one of the first
two offered, remember that there will be 4 more locations that will be
announced soon and you will have the option to take one of those. The main thing is that you register for one
of the six.
