Submitted by Joan Jones, Pat Hurley Neighborhood Association
Volunteers Needed: Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, there can be an emergency or disaster that can overwhelm the community’s immediate response capability. While adjacent jurisdictions, State and Federal resources can activate to help, there may be a delay getting to those who need them. The primary reason for CERT training is to give people the decision-making, organizational, and practical skills to offer immediate assistance to family members, neighbors, and associates while waiting for help. While people will respond to others in need without the training, the goal of the CERT Program is to help people do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is based on a simple observation: in major emergencies, professional emergency services are overloaded immediately. For example, the Albuquerque New Mexico Metro area has approximately 215 sworn fire fighters and approximately 360 sworn police officers on duty on any given day. That is approximately 575 first responders for a community of 729,000 people; adequate for normal emergencies, rescues and crimes. However, if a mass emergency traps or injures just 2% of the areas inhabitants, there are instantly 14,580 victims; many with major injuries. Telephone lines and connections may fail from overload. Roads, electricity and other services may fail, hampering emergency services, and interfering with fuel and material supplies. The benefit of having trained volunteers to assist our local first responders is quite clear.
If only professionals responded to an emergency that created over 14,500 victims, three quarters of the victims could die while waiting for rescue. Most of these deaths could be prevented by simple rescue and first-aid procedures. In these environments, CERT volunteers are far more effective than untrained civilians. With 40 hours of training, a volunteer emergency responder becomes qualified to perform about 95% of needed emergency services. This means that 95% of the rescues, life-saving triage and first-aid procedures can be completed in the “golden day,” the first 24 hours when rescues and first-aid are most likely to succeed.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT): CERT Program educates citizens about the hazards they face in their communities and trains them in lifesaving skills. If needed following a disaster, these citizen-responders use their training as part of a neighborhood or workplace team to help others when professional responders are overwhelmed or not immediately available. CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and people they serve. Once trained, CERT members will be integrated into the emergency response capability for the City of Albuquerque.
CERT Teams are trained in the following areas:
•Disaster Preparedness
•Disaster Psychology/Team Organization
•Fire Suppression
•Medical Operations, Triage and First Aid
•Light Search and Rescue •Terrorism Awareness
Target Audience:
•Neighborhoods •Businesses •Communities of Faith
•Scouting Organizations •School Staff/Students •Clubs/Organizations • Amateur Radio Emergency Services
Highlights of Albuquerque’s CERT Program
• Albuquerque’s CERT Program is a disaster preparedness initiative of Mayor Martin J. Chávez
• Program is managed by the Office of Emergency Management
• Albuquerque CERT Program Coordinator is Ernest Maestas 505-833-7248
• 1st CERT class graduated 15 citizens on February 18, 2006
• 2nd CERT Class graduated 32 students on May 13, 2006
• 3rd CERT class graduated 25 students on October 14, 2006
• 4th CERT class graduated 19 students on February 24, 2007
• 5th CERT class graduated 19 students on May 5, 2007
Upon graduation, citizens are provided with a certificate, provided with a CERT ID badge and given a backpack with emergency response equipment.
CERT Community Support: Since May 2006, the Albuquerque Community Emergency Response Team has supported the Albuquerque Community/Metropolitan area in providing over 1700 hours of volunteer support:
Habitat for Humanity; Albuquerque Isotopes Public Safety Day; Kirtland AFB Airshow; Bosque Fire Patrol; Emergency Operations Training; Belen, NM Flood Response; Albuquerque Snowstorm; Albuquerque Public Schools School to World;
7 Bar Elementary School Science Fair; National VOAD Conference; Isotopes Public Safety Day; Albuquerque/Bernalillo County LEPC All-State Conference; EG Ross Elementary School Health Fair; 19th Annual Rio Grande Valley Celtic Festival and Highland Games; Bosque Fire Patrol; Albuquerque Fire Department Fireworks Hotline; National Ad Council/Radio Disney Move It Kids Tour; Del Norte Baptist Church Kids Safety Fair;
Albuquerque Isotopes Emergency Management Night; Westside – South Valley National Night Out; MMRS Full Scale Exercise; New Mexico State Fair – Fire Fighters Day.
The Albuquerque CERT Program is taking applications for those individuals ages 17-70, who are interested in signing up for the next class. Classes begin November 13 and run through December 8, each Tuesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., and Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Albuquerque Fire Academy, 11510 Sunset Gardens SW. If you are interested in taking the class and becoming a member of the Albuquerque CERT Program, please contact the Team Coordinator at 505-833-7248 or visit this website. What’s best about taking CERT Class – it’s free! |
