Classes will prepare residents to offer help after disaster
Do you have a plan for finding your family members? What will you eat and drink for three days or longer? What plans have you made for your pets?
These are a few of the topics that Debbie Simon and her team of volunteers will cover in the four-session Community Emergency Response Team training that begins on Saturday, Feb. 5, in the Reedsport Community Building.
The Los Angeles Fire Department designed the first CERT trainings following its experiences in Mexico City after the destructive, magnitude 8.1 earthquake on Sept. 19, 1985.
“The firefighters found that family members and friends waded into areas and began pulling up debris, looking for survivors,” Simon said. “These people were injured or killed because they were at the wrong place, doing the wrong thing, at the wrong time.”
To keep this from happening again, the LAFD decided to teach the average person some things to do in emergency situations to keep themselves and others safe.
“The training is designed to equip people to work alongside police, firefighters, search and rescue teams, and community leaders in times of emergencies or disasters,” said Andrea Stone, Douglas County’s CERT coordinator.
The program has four training sessions, each covering various elements of emergency preparedness. The classes include both classroom and hands-on training. Tools and equipment for the training will be provided.
- Feb. 5, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Disaster preparedness, including fire safety and light search/rescue.
- Feb. 12, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Disaster medical operations, parts 1 and 2.
- Feb. 26, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., CERT organization and disaster psychology.
- March 5, 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m., Disaster review and simulation.
Lunch will be provided at each session, but attendees are advised to bring their own snack foods and drinks.
These classes are designed to prepare people to deal effectively with emergencies, Stone said, “but the training can be helpful in everyday life when the unexpected happens at work, school or in the commnity.”
Pre-registration is requested so enough equipment will be available during the training. These CERT trainings are limited to 35 people.
For more information or to pre-register, contact Andrea Stone: 541-464-3867 or by e-mail at astone@co. douglas.or.us.
