Greetings,

I just wanted to share about a great program I've been going through with the local county government called CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams). This training teaches citizens about disaster preparedness, fire safety and supression, disaster medical operations including triage, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism. The conclusion of the course is a disaster simulation.

Naturally, many of the students are, like ourselves, preparedness enthusiasts. We had an impromptu "show me your kit" time at the end of one class, where one boy scout master had a particularly impressive large-group wilderness first aid kit in a giant fishing tackle box.

The medical and search and rescue were the most interesting sections to me. It really increases your comfort level to just know basic airway management (chin lift) and how to dress different kinds of wounds. As a result, I'm doubling the amount of 4x4 sterile gauze and cling wrap in my home kit. Now I know what they mean on the TV show "E.R." when they refer to "checking capillary refill time" (squeeze fingernail and see how long it takes for it to turn back to normal color again).

The great part about this training is that it is free to the participant (well, not really, since it is funded by tax dollars), but anyway, at the end of the training, you get a kit with a mask, goggles, gloves, hard hat, reflective vest, weather radio, etc.

Good stuff.

Robert,

Sounds like you had a good group in your CERT class. These classes are all locally done, so can vary a bit. For example, we did not receive any kit at the conclusion of ours except for a hardhat, but could buy various recommended items at very good costs.

The training covers the same materials in all locations and is, in my opinion, a very worthwhile expense of time, both to get to know your emergency responders and to get family members interested.

Glad you enjoyed it.

I recommend all take a look and see if their community offers the training. More info can be found here:

http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT/

Is there any obligation to FEMA (or the local SAR org) for having received the training?

Jeff

There was a discussion about CERT a month or two back.

General thougts were good training for the individual, but how is the CERT team going to be used?

Who is going to call out the CERT team? Do you ever co-train with Public Safety so they know your skills or develop relationships?

I called my local county pubic safety guy a couple years ago to see if he had any classes or if he could teach a class. I did not recieve a strong response. Kind of if I forced the issue, he would somehow get an instructor for a group.

I think any training that civilians get is better than nothing.

I am just afraid that the CERT teams will never get called out.

I have been also thinking as to how would I, as one of the senior members/officers of our technical rescue team employ CERT members. I can tell you, I would never ask one of these members to enter any structure (including homes) deemed questionable in terms of potential collapse. It is risky enough to put highly trained rescue personal in those situations, it would make no sense to risk additional injuries to CERT members.

I can see using CERT members as labor; removing debris piles, carrying packaged patients to an EMS Control Point, assisting the walking wounded with minor first aid needs. I do not see them being employed in onsite rescues, it is just too dangerous.

Pete

How CERT is incorporated into your community is entirely up to the community leaders and their emergency planning.

I volunteer in a very active group and we train with first responders.

You can only make your community better by not only doing CERT but by participating in local plans and additional training.

Here is a bit of my part in a local training event at the beginning of the month.....


WMD drill, Edmonds , Snohomish County Washington 3/10/2005

We had a multi-agency terrorism drill. The drill included a number of agencies from local police and fire to county bomb and SWAT teams, ATF, Coast Guard, School district, community Emergency Operations Centers, local water district and many surrounding community police and fire responders.

The basic scenario was a radiological IED going off in the locker room at the High School which had 33 students in it, one was killed outright, the rest injured. A secondary IED was hidden on the grounds, a terrorist shot and killed some of the responders and escaped into the local hospital grounds. SWAT and the terrorist were involved in a chemical spill requiring decontamination.

My role was as a RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services) “Radio Shadow” to the Fire Department Emergency Medical Service (EMS) along with CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) triage and EMS. That is, I was assigned to a Fire observer and I was to stick by him and communicate any drill specific information to him or ask questions of the DrillMaster. I was also an observer not a player.

Here are a few images from my bit. Some of these pictures of the victims are sort of graphic, but remember it was all a drill and the gore is not real…even though they did a very good job of it.

My wife was a Radio Shadow with SWAT. Each shadow got a good view of their area, but so much was going on that no one could see it all. Overall, I think it was a very good drill with some lessons for each of the groups and for the radio volunteers also. We have our debrief next week.





Couple of Hams (not my photo).



First Responders entering the locker room, the tall gray haired Fire is who I am shadowing.



Entry


Scene, initial triage. Here victims are assessed rapidly, given a black, red, yellow, or green ribbon (Dead, Severe, Moderate, Walking) to indicate their condition.








EMS outside. As the victims are being removed from the locker room they are piled up for reevaluation and application of medical care.

Relocation of outside medical services. The secondary IED had been discovered and it was near the initial evacuation site, so these kids are being moved to a safer area.



EMS resorting and screening.



CERT and Fire reassigning this kid from yellow to red. She did a very convincing job of changing initial condition….actual vomit from this player.



Mixed teams evacuating the victims, CERT, Fire, Police and School teachers shared the initial load under the direction of Fire EMS.



More organization, Red, Yellow, and Green tarps were spread; victims were reassessed as more Fire EMS teams arrived, sorted for transport and various field care administered.

[img]http://img146.exs.cx/img146/8877/ems34924om.jpg[/img]

And finally transport by Fire.

[img]http://img43.exs.cx/img43/7969/ems34972ur.jpg[/img]

CERT EMS teams had a fairly good role in the drill, both in support for evacuation of the locker room and in field care prior to transport. (Not my image).

[img]http://img153.exs.cx/img153/4409/dgcertems9kt.jpg[/img]

The locker device was radiological and all victims had to go to decontamination prior to arrival at the ER or release from the site. This aspect was problematic in the drill.

And my final image the ATF truck.

[img]http://img239.exs.cx/img239/6696/ems35050va.jpg[/img]


Many folks wonder how CERT RACES etc will work but wondering gets you and your community nowhere. Volunteer and find out how it works rather than figuring it will not.

Schwert, very impressive ! Looks like a well planned dril, the more players the better. BTW how well did your Filson repell Radiation ? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I think I was well irradiated <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That is me, bald guy in first shot, with my vest under the glow in the dark vest.

This was a Homeland Security funded drill with many many players. It went well, but there were several areas where thing could have been improved. RACES role in this case was all drill management communication and that went very well. CERT teams were used in EMS roles and that also went very well. Other CERT players were victims and the terrorist. Best comment was from one of the Police observers that he was most pleased by the mixed teams of Fire, Police, CERT, and school volunteers during victim assesment, initial care, and transport.

Overall this was a very good drill and highlighted how various first responders from many agencies can work together with our group which is both CERT and RACES.

This is my volunteer group website:

http://www.esca1.com/esca/

ESCA is a funded entity that serves several small local communities that have gone together to both utilize RACES and CERT groups in their emergency plans.

To me this is a prime example of how volunteer groups can assist in organized, and highly supportive ways. Infrastructure like this is highly desirable, but seems rare.

Don’t get me wrong; I believe CERTs have their place in the overall response to disaster. However, I believe that over estimating their potential based upon current training could be dangerous to both CERT members and Fire/Rescue/EMS services.

I am sure that the other forum members that are involved either as career or volunteers in the Fire/Rescue/EMS service undergo hundreds, if not thousands of hours of formal and informal training and ongoing re-certifications.

Although, I have training at the HazMat operations level, I am not a HazMat Tech.; I would not place myself in a position (such as intentionally entering a contaminated area) where that type of training was essential for my ability to be of benefit or for my survival. Conversely, I am a Technical and Swiftwater Specialist; I have the training necessary to effect a rescue requiring these skills. Despite the training and knowing the risks and how to reduce the hazards to crew, victims, and myself there is still great risk associated with these types of rescues. I would not expect a highly trained Fire Fighter with training in only fire suppression to place themselves in the position of effecting rescues of a highly technical nature any more then I would want a CERT member entering areas where hazards have not been mitigated. Doing so, can only increase the chances that I have now two people for which to rescue and provide medical care.

I am a Confined Space Rescue Specialists, I can tell you that CSRs claim the lives of more would be rescuers, both civilian (i.e. fellow worker) and Fire Service personnel, then there are original victims. In responding to a CSR, trench or structural collapse, they are very time consuming, technical rescues that even challenge the highly trained. With all due respect, I do not want well-intentioned individuals with generalized training to be involved in the onsite rescue. In supportive roles, yes, absolutely, but outside the hot zone and depending upon the nature of the incident even the warm zone. Endangering themselves and possibly other rescuers, who must now rescue them, makes no sense to me.

Just my opinion.

Pete