Disaster Simulation

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.

We attended our CERTification disaster simulation last night. Everyone from our class met up wearing "gear" (cargo pants, long-sleeved shirts, boots, vinyl gloves under leather gloves, goggles, hard hats, reflective vests) at one of our fire stations, received our scenario - a Cat 4 hurricane, naturally - and started the simulation. We had to choose an Incident Commander, divide into teams of 2, do search and rescue, triage, transporting of victims, noting, logging and mitigating hazards in the area, put out small fires. First, we did it in daylight and then again after dark. It was only 94º when we started the exercise!