In 95 percent of all emergencies, it’s the victim or a bystander who provides the first on-scene immediate assistance.

 

That’s why proper emergency response training is vital and an opportunity to receive that training in one’s own city is a major benefit, say city emergency response personnel.

 

The Harrison County Community Emergency Response Team is offering a 20-hour training course, providing critical skills in emergency preparedness and response. Participants will learn how to identify and anticipate hazards, reduce fire hazards in the workplace, extinguish small fires, assist emergency responders, conduct light search and rescue, set up treatment areas, apply basic medical techniques and help reduce survivor stress.

 

Classes will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 17 and Tues., Feb. 24 at the Bridgeport Fire Department. Presenters which are experts in their fields will teach skills which individuals can utilize to help emergency responders save lives and protect property.

 

Completion of both days of training is necessary in order to become a certified member of the county’s CERT team, but residents are welcome and encouraged to take part in the training for their own personal purposes, said Laura Pysz.

 

“We try to offer trainings a couple of times per year to get citizens trained and prepared,” she said. “It’s a free class which teaches all the steps of what to do in an emergency situation and how you can help your community.”

 

The county CERT team has become a trusted, dependable resource in the face of disaster. Pysz specifically mentioned that the team was very active during the 2012 derecho.

 

“Members really helped out. They went door to door to check on people to make sure everyone was ok,” she said. “In times of disaster, there are never enough volunteers.”

 

Upon completion of the course, trainees will receive a backpack filled with emergency essentials, Pysz said.

 

“We give them a hard hat, gloves, flashlight and a wrench in case they have to turn off a gas valve,” she said. “They learn skills then we provide them with the tools.”

 

The most recent CERT training included city employees and various citizens, some of whom went on to become certified members of the CERT team, Pysz said.

 

Currently serving as director of the Harrison County CERT team is Amy Romano.

 

“Amy has done a great job since she has taken over (for former Director Ray Shaw),” Pysz said. “She doesn’t just have one person teaching. She gets members of the fire and police departments. She keeps people engaged by bringing in people who know about a particular subject.”

 

In the past, presenters have included Bridgeport Police Lt. John Post, who taught terrorism, Bridgeport Police Officer Sean Fleming who taught search and rescue and Bridgeport Fire Captain Phil Hart who taught fire safety/fighting.

 

Romano stresses the fact that CERT members serve a vital role in the community and are invaluable to first responders who deal with catastrophic events.

 

“True first responders are members of police and fire departments essentially tasked with dealing with major issues and that’s where CERT comes in,” she said. “Those trained individuals do everything from triaging casualties to conducting urban searches and going door to door to check on the elderly population during extended power outages, making sure there is sufficient oxygen or they are warm or cool enough.”

 

Harrison County CERT works in conjunction with Harrison County 911. Training is kept up to date through drills. This spring, some of those drills will be conducted at the new fire training facility, Romano said.

 

Sessions for February's introductory training are as follows:

 

•             Session I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during and after a disaster. As the session progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers. Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner. The CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.

•             Session II, DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION: Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities and extinguishing a small fire.

•             Session III, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS PART I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.

•             Session IV, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.

•             Session V, LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques and, most important, rescuer safety.

•             Session VI, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY AND TEAM ORGANIZATION: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.

•             Session VII, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION: Participants review their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in disaster activity.

 

To register for the free training opportunity, complete a registration form (below) and forward to Laura Pysz at lpysz@bridgeportwv.com or by fax at (304) 842-8254. Class size is limited to 20 participants. 

 

Visit the Harrison County CERT page here: 

 

https://www.facebook.com/HarrisonCountyCERT

 

CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through training, citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.

 

More information on CERT can be found here: 

http://www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams/frequently-asked-questions

 

Editor's Note: In addition to a photo of a gathering of Harrison County CERT members, pictured from top are Pysz and Romano.