- Joined
- Dec 3, 2000
- Messages
- 4,347
Is anyone here a member of CERT? CERT = Community Emergency Response Team.
"The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community."
I just finished my 3 weekends of training and was sworn in yesterday. Yikes! I sorta already feel sorry for any victims in a disaster that I need to triage.
The training was very interesting, and also pretty overwhelming as far as a LOT of information in a short period of time. Our final exam mock drill yesterday was pretty typical for first-timers triaging. The team I was on was a bit more organized going into the drill than the first team, but we still probably allowed some people to die who could have been saved, broke bones worse than the disaster did, never totally calmed down that screaming teenager yelling, "Why aren't you helping my friend? He's dying!" She was pretty good!
We did well on the "cribbing" and the fire extinguisher drill. When it was my turn to put out the fire, I did started in with my P.A.S.S., and after pulling the pin, I tested the extinguisher, and NOTHING. It's a good thing I remembered to do the test! My "Buddy" had her fire extinguisher and I used that and got my fire out quickly. Yippee!!
It was pretty cool that the City Mayor, Fire Chief, City Manager, City Clerk (who swore us in), President of the Water Board (Fire Department falls under Water Department) plus many other "important" people showed up after our Final Exam to support us and to say nice things about our efforts as volunteers.
The FD Captain who trained us knows that there was too much information to cover well in the time we had, so he is going to focus on doing more triage, wound dressing, etc. during our monthly meetings. It's no wonder we didn't do very well in the triage and wound dressing since we had only received a lecture and demonstration, but no hands on like we did for cribbing, lifting/carrying, and fire extinguishers.
One of the most important things I learned during the mock drill was that it is NOT a good idea to wear eye make-up when one is going to be wearing PPE safety goggles!
And Helmut Hair? Much worse than Bed Head!
But I was prepared with a ball cap. Whew. 
TJ
"The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community."
I just finished my 3 weekends of training and was sworn in yesterday. Yikes! I sorta already feel sorry for any victims in a disaster that I need to triage.
The training was very interesting, and also pretty overwhelming as far as a LOT of information in a short period of time. Our final exam mock drill yesterday was pretty typical for first-timers triaging. The team I was on was a bit more organized going into the drill than the first team, but we still probably allowed some people to die who could have been saved, broke bones worse than the disaster did, never totally calmed down that screaming teenager yelling, "Why aren't you helping my friend? He's dying!" She was pretty good!
We did well on the "cribbing" and the fire extinguisher drill. When it was my turn to put out the fire, I did started in with my P.A.S.S., and after pulling the pin, I tested the extinguisher, and NOTHING. It's a good thing I remembered to do the test! My "Buddy" had her fire extinguisher and I used that and got my fire out quickly. Yippee!!
It was pretty cool that the City Mayor, Fire Chief, City Manager, City Clerk (who swore us in), President of the Water Board (Fire Department falls under Water Department) plus many other "important" people showed up after our Final Exam to support us and to say nice things about our efforts as volunteers.
The FD Captain who trained us knows that there was too much information to cover well in the time we had, so he is going to focus on doing more triage, wound dressing, etc. during our monthly meetings. It's no wonder we didn't do very well in the triage and wound dressing since we had only received a lecture and demonstration, but no hands on like we did for cribbing, lifting/carrying, and fire extinguishers.
One of the most important things I learned during the mock drill was that it is NOT a good idea to wear eye make-up when one is going to be wearing PPE safety goggles!
And Helmut Hair? Much worse than Bed Head!
But I was prepared with a ball cap. Whew. TJ
