CERT training begins in November
The Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District is kicking off a CERT training program next month. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and according to Fire Chief Ben Mickuleit, citizen participation is a necessity for our island community.
“In Lee County, fire districts run their own CERT programs,” Mickuleit said. “The Matlacha/Pine Island Fire Control District has about 5 or 6 active CERT volunteers and quite frankly we need more people to participate.”
The first CERT program was created in the city of Los Angeles to respond to earthquakes. Local authorities realized first responders would be overwhelmed and sought to provide basic training for community members. These citizens could provide disaster survival and rescue skills until first responders arrived on the scene.
Following 9-11 the federal government launched Citizen Corps. The mission of Citizen Corps “is to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.”
“We are in a unique situation on Pine Island,” Mickuleit said. “Surrounding towns can call other surrounding towns for assistance but as an island community we only have Cape Coral to assist us – and if they are on other calls or need to get to either end of the island, it takes a long time. That’s just one reason why we need Pine Island and Matlacha citizens to participate in our CERT training.”
CERT Basic Training is designed to prepare citizens to help themselves and others in the event of a catastrophic disaster when first responders are overwhelmed.
“CERT is a critical program for citizens to get engaged in their community,” Fire Inspector Christi Kulwicki said. “Community based preparedness planning allows us to respond more quickly to disasters. Whether it’s something like last year’s tornado that struck Pine Island Cove or the recent accident on Stringfellow. It doesn’t have to be a hurricane for us to turn to our CERT people.”
“CERT volunteers can help us in many ways,” Mickuleit said. “When we had the HAZMAT incident on Stringfellow two weeks ago, our phones were ringing off the hook. It would have been great just to have an extra person to answer those calls and alleviate people’s worries. That’s one job that could have been handled by a person of any age.”
CERT training includes Disaster Preparedness, Fire Safety and Utility Control, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and Rescue Operations, CERT Organization, Disaster Psychology and Terrorism.
Some of the topics covered in the course include hazards, protection of disaster workers, fire chemistry, firefighting resources, fire suppression, hazardous materials, treating life threatening conditions, treating burns, wound care, treating fractures, bites and stings, light search and rescue.
The complete Community Emergency Response Team Manual is available on the FEMA website: www.fema.gov/media – library-data/1446216182929-02eb347496f7038f9856601f42da700b/Section_2_PM_Intro.pdf
“The CERT course can be quite comprehensive,” Mickuleit said. “Volunteers can receive the basic training or go on to more advanced training. For example, in the aftermath of Hurricane Charlie, CERT volunteers helped at several points of distribution (POD’s) on the island distributing water and ice. They also can help in the shelters, do damage assessment and even perform CPR.
“We would like to have 20 to 30 people certified,” Mickuleit said. “Of course, everything isn’t a catastrophic emergency. Our CERT people can help in smaller emergencies by setting up shelters and with water and snacks. The HAZMAT accident lasted from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. – it would have been helpful to have someone there simply to hand out water.”
CERT meetings are the first Monday of every month at 6 p.m. at Fire Station #1, 5700 Pine Island Road, Bokeelia.
“We try to coordinate training sessions with those meetings so people don’t have to make two trips when one will do,” Kulwicki said. “We do suspend the meetings after Easter through September.”
“We are having an open house at Fire Station #1 on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” Mickuleit said. “The training is free and you can be a viable part of emergency operations and your community.
“CERT certification classes will be held Nov 7th, 8th, 14th and 15th from 5-8 p.m.,” Mickuleit said “Applicants must fill out an application they can pick up at the Fire Station or complete online at Leegov.com/emvolunteerapp. We do require a background check.”
If interested or would like more information about the island CERT?team, please call Kulwicki at 239-283-0030.