PHOTOS COURTESY OF MH CERT, GILROY CERT, AND MHL OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES |
Emergency Managers.“ Without the wonderful, hardworking CERT volunteers, our program would not be as successful as it is. Their service to the community is greatly appreciated.”
According to Ponce,“ The CERT mission is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people. In an emergency you have to make rapid decisions based on an assessment of the needs around you. Training helps you do the right thing even when your natural instinct is to do something different.”
Colin Tanner heads up training for the Gilroy CERT program. His day job is Active Shooter / Violent Intruder prevention and response training, and emergency management training, for a nonprofit serving the public and private sectors. He wants the CERT program to be a mirror of the community it serves.
“ All are welcome regardless of their capabilities. Not everyone can do every job, but there is a job for everyone.”
According to Tanner, the first unit on Disaster Preparedness teaches about natural and man-made hazards in our area and the network of first responders who lead efforts to deal with them. Participants learn that being prepared means having five to seven days’ worth of emergency supplies at home, additional supplies at the office, and a backpack with about three days’ worth of supplies stowed in their cars.
“ It starts to sink in that they could be on their own for many days, and that disaster relief is not designed to restore them to the lifestyle they’ re accustomed to, it’ s designed for survival,” Tanner said.“ If they lack food and water, they’ ll get a gallon of water and two pre-packaged, ready-to-eat meals( MREs) per day per person.
And it’ s not just food and water, but copies of important documents, cash, prescription medications, eyeglasses, provisions for household pets, a radio, tents and sleeping bags— things we may need to survive when disaster turns life upside down.
CERT training includes a unit on Fire Safety led by Gilroy Fire Captain Randy Wong, who volunteers his free time to teach this unit for the Gilroy and Morgan Hill CERT programs. Units on CERT organization and operations are taught by Ponce, and there’ s also a unit on terrorism response.
Tanner described how, in the unit on Disaster Medical Operations( DMO),“ the room gets quiet as trainees realize that DMO is not first aid. It’ s about increasing the odds of survival using simple, life-saving steps in response to everything from an auto accident to a wildfire.”
CERT volunteers approach emergency response regionally and get to know each other through monthly trainings.“ In a large-scale event, resources are coordinated from the Emergency Operations Center,” Ponce said.“ When that model is activated, CERT falls under the Fire / Rescue Branch. The coordination of local and regional resources is key, and the volunteers are a vital resource.”
Morgan Hill CERT trainer Larry W. Carr is a former military and commercial pilot. He and other CERT volunteers meet once a year with the South County Airport Pilots Association to practice emergency airlift operations at San Martin Airport.
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CERT Trainers( l-r) Sherry and Mike Purser with Gail and Larry Carr at MH National Night Out 2017. |
Colin Tanner, CERT providing Courtesy Transport at Gilroy Garlic Festival 2017. |
Morgan Hill OES Coordinator, Jennifer Ponce with emergency response team. |
CERT Fire Extinguisher Training
Colin Tanner( l) leading a Gilroy CERT training on Triage
Diaster Medical Operations CERT Disaster Simulation
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