By Mark Peters, Special for the Arcadia Weekly
CERT graduation in El Monte. – Courtesy Photo
The first Community Emergency Response Team class for graduate in the City of El Monte recently held its graduation ceremony at Trinity Reformed Church in El Monte and was hosted by Pastor Wayne Hoglin and his wife Sherrie Hoglin.
CERT graduation caps 7 weeks and 21 hours of intense training since July 17th. CERT is a nationwide program that teaches community members how to assist police, fire and EMS. 20 CERT volunteers received completion certificates and a special dinner on graduation night. The graduates completed a 21-hour curriculum that focused on the fundamentals of emergency preparedness and disaster activities.
In addition to the in-classroom training, volunteers were required to complete fundamental training including fire safety training and a mock disaster drill.
Mark Peters, CERT graduate, stated that “We are the first team of volunteers in the City of El Monte to complete the CERT training and join an elite group of similar teams across the United States. The CERT program has given us the basic decision-making, organizational, and practical skills to offer immediate assistance to our families, neighbors, and associates effectively and efficiently while waiting for help to arrive.”
“We cannot control all the emergencies that will occur in our lives, but we can be ready to face them by knowing what to do and what actions to perform. By creating a disaster plan, establishing a 72-hour supplies kit and by practicing your plan, you minimize the impact any emergency situation may have on you and your family and affords you the opportunity to help others within your community.”
CERT graduation in El Monte. – Courtesy Photo
Taken from the lecture given by Captain Frank Reynoso CERT is the perfect example of neighbor helping neighbor, and the fact that the Los Angeles County Fire Department along with Trinity Reformed Church hosted by Pastor Wayne Hoglin were able to offer this training for the El Monte community is indicative of the together-forward attitude that abounds within our community.
Erick Bonilla, Webelos Den Leaders for El Monte Pack 551, one of the new CERT graduates, said, “It is always a good idea to be prepared for a disaster. Taking the CERT training has given me the knowledge, skills and confidence to be ready for the worst. I recommend this course for anyone who wants to be a valuable asset to their immediate community.”
“Volunteering for this type of thing is one of the most important things you can do,” Firefighter Oscar Perez said to the class. “You guys are now partner’s hand-in-hand with us. We need extra sets of hands and eyes for everything we do. You have the ability to help neighbors and friends in our community. Most importantly, you have the ability now to try to save a life. Think about situations in which you might find yourself and how you might respond, but first and foremost take care of your family ‘s first.”
Anyone in good health and with a sense of community can become a part of CERT. If you become a CERT member, you will learn about important life-safety support techniques. You will, however, not be expected to place yourself in dangerous situations, either in the training or when a disaster strikes.
Training includes:
- Disaster Impact on the Infrastructure: The potential effect of disasters on transportation, electrical service, telephone communication, food, water, and shelter, fuel and emergency services.
- Home and Workplace Preparedness: Create a disaster supplies kit and how to prepare in advance to manage a disaster.
- Structural and Nonstructural Hazards: Identify and mitigate possible hazards; including utility shut-off.
- Life-threatening Conditions: Recognize and treat an airway obstruction, how to control bleeding and treat for shock.
- Fire Safety: Develop a home escape plan, maintain smoke alarms and operate a fire extinguisher.
- First Aid: Basic first aid, including ABC treatment, treatment for shock, and related techniques
- Hazardous Materials: Identification of household hazardous materials, proper storing and disposal, and hazardous materials decontamination.
CERT Overview: Community Emergency Response Team training includes; neighborhood preparedness, fire safety, hazardous materials, disaster medicine, light search & rescue, C.E.R.T. organization, disaster psychology and terrorism awareness.
A key factor for CERT members is the ability to spontaneously organize and activate themselves in the event of a major disaster. If there is a significant earthquake, phones and other communications channels may be interrupted. CERT members will know where to go, how to organize their efforts, and will get to work without any specific order being issued, a CERT member’s first responsibility is to his or herself, then his or her family, and finally his or her community.
Special thanks and gratitude are extended to our wonderful LACoFD El Monte Engine Company 196 and the brave men and woman who work there. Firefighter Robert Palma, Captain Art Jimenez, Firefighter Oscar Perez, Captain Frank Reynoso who taught our classes and dedicated their time, efforts and knowledge imparted to the new CERT team, Pastor Wayne Hoglin and his wife Sherrie Hoglin and Magdalena Valdivia, Community Service Representative at LACoFD for your continued devotion to our community and the CERT team.
For more information on future CERT classes, or anyone having a group that would like to start a class, contact Magdalena Valdivia, Community Service Representative at LACoFD at (626) 280-8504
Source Beacon Media News