When disaster strikes, emergency response services can be overwhelmed, leaving families, neighborhoods and businesses on their own for hours or even days.
Getting special emergency training, however, can help people deal with those situations ” and will soon be made available to community members. Once trained, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers will also be able to better assist San Diego firefighters during disasters.
A beach-area training session for San Diego’s CERT program begins Feb. 21. Anyone is welcome to participate in the training, whether he or she is interested in joining the CERT team or just wants personal knowledge about what to do in an emergency situation. The only requirement is that participants be at least 18 years old.
The beach CERT team includes members from Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Point Loma. CERT volunteers are easily recognizable by their distinctive green vests and hats.
Jon Coats, CERT beach team leader, said he is looking to expand the membership of his team and is searching for few more volunteers.
It’s not necessary to be athletic to join a CERT team, he said. More typically, CERT volunteers are people who care about and are actively involved in their communities, according to Coats.
The upcoming training course consists of 26 hours of curriculum and certification spread over six weeks. Taught by chief instructor Michel Bowidowicz, a firefighter and paramedic with San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, the class includes training in useful skills such as how to use a fire extinguisher, how to lift heavy objects, basic first aid and basic search and rescue skills.
Bowidowicz said CERT volunteers have played a big part in local emergency situations. During the October 2007 wildfires, “We had the largest CERT deployment ever,” Bowidowicz said.
According to Coats and Bowidowicz, CERT members from across the county loaded trucks and spent time working at the emergency shelter at Qualcomm Stadium and at the animal shelter, among other duties. “We also took food to the firefighters,” Coats said.
After the fires, San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman praised CERT volunteer efforts, saying, “Their training and commitment really paid off. The dedication to the job was beyond comparison and really made a positive difference.”
Bowidowicz said he welcomes people to the training even if they don’t plan to become CERT team members.
“Having the training is a huge step toward protecting their families,” he said. “We encourage them to join a CERT team simply because of the ongoing training provided to update emergency skills.”
The classes include plenty of hands-on training, Bowidowicz said. Each training culminates in a four-hour disaster drill.
The CERT program is almost completely a volunteer operation. The local organization has only one paid employee “” the program manager. Bowidowicz teaches the training in his free time.
“It’s a great program,” said Bowidowicz. “I’m proud to be part of it.”
Training classes are tuition-free. However, participants are responsible for their own required class supplies, which include a $55 CERT textbook and CERT “Go Bag” containing a CERT vest and helmet, flashlight, work gloves, medical gloves, eye protection and face mask.
The class schedule is flexible. Participants may choose to train either on Thursday nights or Saturday mornings for the six weeks of training. For more information or to sign up, call (619) 533-3075, or visit certsandiego.org.