Thursday morning, the American Red Cross and Bridgeport Emergency Services hosted a Shelter Fundamentals course at Bridgeport City Hall. 

 

“We had 17 people – including city employees and members of our CERT (certified emergency response training) and VIPS (volunteers in police services) groups – who went through the shelter training, learning what to do – and what not to do – when opening a shelter,” said Bridgeport Emergency Services Coordinator Laura Pysz. “The Red Cross provided information on those guidelines.” 

 

In an effort to be more proactive, the ARC has been reaching out to communities and offering the basic level one course at. Pysz said her department thought it was timely to host the workshop – which introduces the guidelines and procedures for setting up, running and closing a shelter during a disaster. 

 

As approaching winter storms increase the likelihood of having to put a shelter program in place, the workshop fit right in with the city’s preparedness initiative which has been carried out through several different courses and meetings over the past couple of years. 

 

Participants took part in a case study, taking them through four of the six phases of the sheltering cycle: Opening, organizing, operating and closing. 

 

“It’s important to make sure we are trained in the proper steps of opening and maintaining a shelter as there are more components to just people sleeping there,” Pysz said. “You have to make sure people are fed and all of their needs are met, including those with disabilities or other special needs.” 

 

It’s also vital to choose the location and make necessary plans ahead of time, so that if and when disaster strikes, groundwork will already be done, she said. 

 

The class was designed for government, church and community organizations which are eligible for emergency management preparedness grant credits.

 

Today’s activities focused on sheltering, but organizers shared some other tips for seasonal safety and preparedness. Included, Pysz said, is preparing for the possibility of being stranded in a vehicle. It’s important, she said, to have a kit packed with essentials – food, water, blankets, flashlight, etc. – and kept in the vehicle at all times.