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Dec. 17, 2008 For more information, contact: 15 Area Volunteers Train for Emergencies LACLEDE COUNTY —Fifteen volunteers from Laclede and Pulaski counties spent one weekend in December training for emergency situations so they can be of greater service to emergency response agencies as well as their neighbors. The training, held Dec. 5-7 at the Laclede County Emergency Management office, introduced participants to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept of preparing civilians to proactively organize and train for a disaster. CERT trainings cover disaster fire suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization. Those completing the training included Loretta Young, Alex Young, Jim Schiller, Tammy Teter, Gail Teter, Andrew Jiminez, Annette Ruble, Olivia Ritchel, McKenzie Molette, Randy Greenfield, all of Lebanon; John O’Neill of Waynesville, and Lori Goss, Shanna Goss, Shayla Goss and Caleb Goss, all of Conway. The three-day, 20-hour training was offered free of charge and was sponsored by Meramec Regional Planning Commission and the Region I Homeland Security Oversight Committee in partnership with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. Instructors for the class were Byron Burke and Terry Bruno. This is the largest CERT class we have sponsored in Region I, said Amy McMillen, who coordinates the training. Region I includes Crawford, Dent, Maries, Laclede, Phelps and Pulaski counties in Missouri. MRPC provided lunch for Saturday and Sunday and the Laclede County Emergency Management Office provided refreshments for the weekend. “We appreciate the significant investment of time these volunteers have made,” Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC’s environmental programs manager, said, “Law enforcement, EMS and fire departments will not be able to deal with all the issues that will confront them when disaster strikes. Having volunteers who are able to act appropriately and professionally in teams prepares our region for dealing with emergencies,” she added. CERT does not train a volunteer to be a firefighter or a paramedic but instead teaches essential lifesaving functions that volunteers can use while waiting for professional responders to arrive after a disaster. Snodgrass added that a local community should be prepared to take care of itself for the first 72-hours of a disaster. That’s about how long it takes for state and federal resources to be mobilized. “CERT teams ensure that trained volunteers are available to fill that void and provide the best assistance and care possible when disaster strikes,” she added. Additional CERT trainings are planned across Region I in the future. Persons interested in signing up should contact Amy McMillen at MRPC at (573) 265-2993 or by email amcmillen@meramecregion.org. |