CERT urges residents to prepare for emergencies

The response — federal, state, local and from volunteer agencies to Hurricane Gustav on the Gulf Coast and other impending storms — buoyed the spirit of many Americans, but it shouldn’t lull them into complacency about an emergency closer to home, says Bill Kerr, coordinator for the last five years of Green Valley’s Emergency Response Team.

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Kerr, a retired U.S. Army sergeant, will accept a proclamation at the Pima County Board of Supervisors meeting declaring September as Emergency Preparedness Month, in remembrance of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

CERT, which has trained 272 volunteers locally, was created by order of the federal government after the Sept. 11 attacks to encourage Americans nationwide to get prepared for all types of emergencies and receive the training to do so to help themselves and others. The all-volunteer organization now has chapters nationwide and conducts regular training classes.

Kerr said the next series of classes, in conjunction with the Green Valley Fire District, starts Oct. 16. Classes are free and cover topics such as disaster preparedness, fire suppression, disaster medical aid, search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization, terrorism, and disaster simulation drills.

Classes are free and run for eight weeks, once a week. For more information, call Kerr at 399-1234.

CERT training is just one of many ways to prepare for an emergency, Kerr said. People can do this themselves by taking a few simple steps.

“Try to imagine anything that could happen here, such as a major fire, flood, train derailment, or hazardous materials spill. We advocate that people be prepared to take care of themselves with no government services for a minimum of 72 hours, which is about as long as it takes to mobilize these services and get them to you. It takes time to mobilize it all,” Kerr said.

He urged residents to be prepared to evacuate in the event of an emergency by having cash, water, fuel for their vehicles and food and water for at least two or three days. on hand.

“We are trying to teach people what they need to do to be prepared for emergencies. If they have the knowledge, they won’t be as devastated when it happens,” he said.

“Planning helps all the way down from federal, state and local governments to the individual. Every individual needs to have a plan on what to do in an emergency. We urge everyone to chart a plan on what they will do,” he added.

“We have 50 different brochures from various sources and their advice all boils down to the same thing: Be prepared and have on hand what you need. Basically, helping to treat casualties and evacuation is the mission of CERT,” he said.

Kerr noted that the local CERT currently has about 150 active members in Green Valley and Sahuarita. Some drop out after getting the training because of death, illness, moving or other interests.

Even so, he said, those who have received the training are still prepared to take care of themselves in the event of an emergency.

After the eight-week training period, the local CERT conducts monthly training classes to keep members updated about the latest information on disaster planning.

Kathy Engle is a freelance writer who lives in Amado. You can contact her at kdengle@earthlink.net.

Evacuation plan

Here’s a checklist of items you need in case of emergency or an evacuation, courtesy of the Green Valley chapter of CERT.

First aid kit

Battery-operated radio

Blankets and pillows

Gas for vehicle

Flashlight and extra batteries

Medications

Important papers

Insurance cards

Driver’s license

Special needs items

Cash money (you may not be able to use credit cards)

ID badges

Food, water

Jackets, sweaters

Changes of clothes