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Nov. 17, 2008 For more information, contact: Emergency Training Available For Community Volunteers St. JAMES —Residents in the Meramec Region—especially those in Laclede and Pulaski counties—interested in volunteering during emergency situations are encouraged to take advantage of a training course offered in Lebanon. The three- day, 20-hour training is offered free of charge. The class is offered Dec. 5-7 at the Laclede County Emergency Management office, Southeast Courthouse Annex at the Corner of Adams and Second streets in Lebanon. The class will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 7 with Byron Burke and Terry Bruno as instructors. The training will introduce 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. The class is sponsored by Meramec Regional Planning Commission and the Region I Homeland Security Oversight Committee in partnership with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency. Lunch will be provided for participants on Saturday and Sunday. Persons interested in signing up should contact Amy McMillen at MRPC at (573) 265-2993 or by email amcmillen@meramecregion.org. An informational flyer is available at www.meramecregion.org. “We recognize that this training requires a significant investment of time,” Tammy Snodgrass, MRPC’s environmental programs manager, said, “and that is because of the importance of the work that volunteers will be doing in emergencies. 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. |