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You can't see the rain in the picture, but you can see wet clothes on the CERT team working to evacuate an unidentified victim. The city-wide mock disaster held at Brookside School last Wednesday had barely started when Mother Nature added some very realistic rain. It wasn't written into the scenario, but CERT members are taught to be flexible and resourceful, so no problem, on with the show. (Disaster drill that is.)
The unanimous opinion during the evaluation and de-briefing was that it had been a good learning experience and a successful training exercise.
Indeed, the community response for volunteers to be victims was excellent. A total of 51 people of all ages came to be made up with fake wounds. CERT members are trained to identify and tag victims needing immediate care and to do the same for those we can wait for treatment, so some of the victims are made up with severe types of injuries and some with superficial injuries. Some are instructed to be distractors, wandering around in shock. This group put on an Academy-Award-winning performance Wednesday.
A listing of other volunteers helps to give a picture of the scope of the operation. Utah County ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Services), provided nine ham radio operators so that every CERT team had radio communication with the incident command and each other.
A total of 10 scouts with first aid training and their scoutmasters also assisted the CERT teams to find and treat victims.
Springville Police, Ambulance and Fire Department also came in with three ambulances and teams, fire fighters from Springville and Manti and the mobile Emergency Operations Center under the direction of Lt. Dell Gordon.
Special thanks should be given to Neways of Springville for providing bottled water and tables and chairs for various uses in and out of the building.
And last, but not least, thanks should also be given to Nebo School District, for allowing the use of Brookside Elementary for a place to hold the mock disaster. Principal DeAnn Nielsen was very supportive and helpful. Sweeper Scott Evans was on hand to unlock the building, set up the chairs and then he spent a long night putting everything back in order.
CERT will be starting new classes September 9 and 11. Classes run about two and a half hours for eight weeks and can be taken either Tuesday or Thursday evening starting at 7 p.m. in the training room in the fire station on the corner of Center Street and Main. Cost of the training is $25 for individuals, $40 for couples and includes the manual, and some CERT equipment. Be prepared, not scared. |
