|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Katrina Morris hopes she never has to use her newly acquired skills as a graduate of the City of Miami’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, but she is definitely ready and able to step into action if ever called upon to do so.
As a long-time resident of Coconut Grove and Sustainability Consultant for the Business Improvement District, Morris attended the September Community Emergency Response Team training out of a sense of personal duty to help her community in as many ways as she can.
As a result, she now feels more prepared to meet the challenge of an emergency, “whether it is a wide-scale disaster, such as a hurricane, or a smaller-scale incident in my own home or neighborhood.
Morris, a long-time resident of Coconut Grove and Sustainability Consultant for the Business Improvement District (BID), attended September’s CERT . As a result, she now feels more prepared to meet the challenge of an emergency, “whether it is a wide-scale disaster, such as a hurricane, or a smaller-scale incident in my own home or neighborhood.”
WHAT TO EXPECT
Presented at the Miami Fire Training Center in Coconut Grove, the course is led by the City of Miami Fire-Rescue CERT Team, a division of Emergency Management. The program covers CPR, fire safety, and light search and rescue. It is a hybrid course, with an online portion to be completed prior to the in-person training at the West Grove Fire Academy. The onsite training is led by senior Fire-Rescue team members, who possess a wealth of knowledge and experience.
“I now feel certain I could make a significant difference if I was called upon to stabilize any number of situations while waiting for Fire-Rescue to arrive on the scene,” she continued. “This in turn would give myself, my family, my neighbors, and my community the crucial, life-saving time they’d need in those hours immediately following a disaster – time that I would not have been able to give them had I not received this training.”
DAY ONE
The weekend started with an introduction to the program by Miami Fire-Rescue Emergency Management Coordinator Candya Vichot-Bello. The 18 course participants then headed down to a classroom filled with dummies, both adult and infant for a thorough CPR course where they learned how to administer manual CPR, how to use an AED, and how to stop-the-bleed. “On my way home from the first day, I noticed that I felt calmer about the idea of running into an emergency situation, either while out and about, on the job or at home,” added Morris.
DAY TWO
The second day focused on fire safety and light search and rescue. The morning consisted of a classroom review of how to assess an emergency situation and respond safely while Fire Rescue personnel are on route. “We learned how and when to approach fire hazards, and when not to approach them. We learned how to stabilize a victim during an emergency situation, including stopping bleeding and splinting. Primarily, we learned how we as citizens can best help ourselves, our neighbors and how to be a vital team member of the Emergency Response Team.”
The afternoon was spent with hands-on learning, where trainees deployed a fire extinguisher and used cribs and a fulcrum (blocks of wood and a lever) to lift heavy objects. The big finale was a light search and rescue simulation, which Morris said was “incredibly realistic,” with previous CERT class members volunteering to play the victims in a natural disaster.
“I am so glad I took this course,” she adds. “Ultimately, I left feeling reassured that here in Miami, we have the privilege of having a top-notch Fire-Rescue department. The team was kind and knowledgeable. They taught us how to assess a situation, when to call 911, and how to stabilize a situation while Fire-Rescue is on route, which in the City of Miami takes mere minutes.”
WE’RE IN GOOD HANDS
Morris further expressed gratitude to the City of Miami Fire-Rescue for providing this training, emphasizing that she is now certain she can be a key asset to her community in case of emergency. “I am also grateful that these folks are the ones who will be showing up to get us to safety. I feel like we are all in good hands and am happy to be on the team.”
Designed to help neighborhoods prepare for multiple disaster scenarios and be able to respond in a safe and organized manner, the City of Miami hosts the popular program periodically throughout the year – with upcoming sessions scheduled for Oct. 21-22, Nov. 21-22, and Dec. 2-3.
The Coconut Grove BID strongly encourages its members and all residents to register. The classes take place close by, at the Miami Fire Training Center, 3425 Jefferson St., Miami, FL 33133. Space is limited so it is advised to enroll immediately.
“Our goal is to have a resilient business neighborhood and be up to speed, trained, and prepared on the front end,” says Cynthia Seymour, acting executive director. “To make that happen, we especially need local business owners who care about our community and who want to be actively engaged in working with us to ensure the safety and stability of our commercial district.”
As trained CERT team members serving our local community, Seymour and Morris both agree that it will be one of the most valuable educational experiences that any resident or member of the business community will ever receive.
CERT TRAINING INCLUDES:
- Disaster Psychology
- Light Search & Rescue
- Emergency Communications
- Team Organization
- Disaster Drill & Simulation
- Disaster Preparedness
- Disaster Medical Operations & Triage
- Terrorism Awareness
- Fire Safety & Suppression
Questions? Email: MiamiCERT@miamigov.com or visit the City of Miami Cert webpage at https://www.miami.gov/My-Government/Departments/Emergency-Management/Miami-CERT
