Winter 2005                                             Volume 7    Issue 1

CERT: Community Emergency Response Teams Focus on Safety
Tom Barnhizer, Lucas County EMA, Ohio

The CERT Program is run by the Toledo Police and Fire Departments, and administrated by Owens Community College. Funded by a grant from the Department of Homeland Security, the program trains ordinary people to handle emergencies in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.

"We want our citizens in Lucas County better prepared," says Lt. Victor Ellis of the Special Operations Bureau of the Toledo Fire Department. "If we have a natural or manmade disaster that could overwhelm police and fire, we need to know that there's someone in the neighborhood who can help until we could get there. It's a preparedness issue for us."

Lt. Ellis, who heads the program, says that the course includes fire suppression, disaster psychology, life search and rescue, and basic lifesaving techniques, including what to do if a victim is bleeding, has a blocked airway, or is in shock. He says, "People are trained in areas they can help - and in areas in which they cannot help."

As an example, he says that CERT program attendees learn what types of buildings they can go into after a disaster, and what types to stay away from. The latter includes those with heavy damage, buildings that have been knocked off their foundations, and those with heavy smoke.

"People want to help, but they don't understand that this is the type of place they should not be," he says.

Jean Priest, who was a student in the first training class in September, 2003, says, "I can make sure I'm safe, my family's safe, and help my neighbors, without causing injury to others." Ms. Priest, who is a division secretary at Owens, says she was eager to take the course. "Because of 9/11, everyone should know what to do in case of an emergency, and I felt that I was not prepared." She says that she and her husband are also business owners, and she feels it is important to have this information in case any of her employees or customers require assistance.

Nearly a year has gone by since her CERT training, and Ms. Priest is still very involved in the program, participating as a "victim" for other students in training.

CERT classes are held every month, with 40 participants per class. Classes are purposely kept small because there is so much hands-on training involved. To date, 280 people from all walks of life have taken the training. Anyone who works or lives in Lucas County is eligible to participate in the free program.

CERT classes are three days long and held over a weekend. Friday sessions include an overview of the national training program and the importance of teamwork during a disaster. The Friday sessions take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On Saturday of the CERT weekend, participants receive instruction in first aid, disaster medical operations, and ways to prepare for a natural disaster or terrorist attack. The Sunday session includes course instruction on fire safety, light search and rescue operations, fire suppression, and disaster psychology. The day ends with a disaster simulation and field exercise. The Saturday and Sunday sessions begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m.

All sessions take place on the campus of Owens Community College. The field exercise takes place at the College's crime scenario house. Linda Stacy, vice president of the workforce and community services division at Owens, says that the College was happy to work with Lucas County on the CERT program. "They came and asked if we would be interested in partnering," she says. "It's a great opportunity for us to get people on our campus." Of the training, she says, "It gives people a feeling of control. That's something that we lost after 9/11. This gives people a sense of control over their lives and their safety. "These are some of the first dollars coming down from Homeland Security to the county to teach citizens how to help. Homeland security is not just about police and fire, but about the ordinary citizen, that we all have a piece of this."

She expects that the CERT program will continue through December, if not longer. "Not all counties are up and going, so there are more dollars we can tap into. We're hoping to go into 2005," she says. Lt. Ellis concurs. "Our plan is to continue this training as long we possibly can," he says.

Owens Community College recently broke ground on a new Fire and Police Training Center for Professional Development and Homeland Security. Owens' $10 million, state-of-the-art facility will be located on a 110-acre site, featuring a Command and Simulation Center for Regional Anti-Terrorism and Emergency Management. The interior will consist of a simulation containment chamber, a command center and state-of-the-art classrooms and computer and science laboratories.

Phase I of the Owens' project will be installation of an infrastructure of water lines, gas lines and fiber optic cable. In addition, the first phase will include a smokeless burn building and an observation tower. Subsequent phases will include a the construction of a mock city and a variety of other simulation scenarios.

After nearly a year, has Ms. Priest had to use her training? "Luckily, no," she says. "I'm prepared, I'm ready, but thankfully, no, we haven't had a tornado or flood. "But if it would happen, I'm ready."

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