My PI Alaska kicks off this week

This week kicks of a six-week afterschool program for students age 13-19 interested in learning more about Emergency Preparedness and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, known as the My Preparedness Initiative (My PI) Alaska.

Talon Boeve, an Emergency Operations Center Specialist for the Mat-Su Borough Department of Emergency Services, is leading the the program, bring her experience as a prior CERT trainer, as well as participating in the My PI Instructor course during a national instructor course.

“Since part of the My PI training includes the CERT training, they thought I would be a good fit for that,” Boeve explained.

Students in the program will have the opportunity to become Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) certified, learn components of CERT to include light search and rescue fundamentals, fire safety, how to identify and avoid hazardous materials, recognizing terrorism and community threats.

But more than that, students will have the opportunity to build teams within their community, learn teamwork and leadership, decision-making, and civic responsibility.

“This is about building individuals in the community that are going to be there when an incident occurs that already understand the basic principles of how to stabilize the situation before first responders show up.”

All of the CERT classroom instruction and practice will culminate in a hands-on disaster simulation.

“We will have a disaster scenario with survivors, and the students will get to come in respond as if they are the first on-scene. They will be able to search an area, triage, practice hazard identification, among other things,” Boeve said.

Students will also have the opportunity to learn more about career tracks such as Emergency Medical Services, Firefighting, Law Enforcement, and some career paths the might not know about, such as Emergency Management.

Boeve says that in addition to the national list of standards that the My PI class covers, she is eager to bring in experts and training specific to the state and Mat-Su Borough, including local Cybersecurity experts, information about local phone apps, Mat-Su HAM radio operators. Students will also learn about the weather risks associated with life in Alaska-windstorms, earthquakes, avalanches with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

Upon completion, Boeve said that the students will be equipped with knowledge and skills to respond and help make a difference, give their families and neighbors an added feeling of security.

“They will have a feeling of security, and this is trying to alleviate the fear of what to do,” says Boeve.

The response has been more than Boeve expected, especially since the Mat-Su Borough is second only to Valdez to offer this program.

“We are really excited. This is the second place in the state to have this class, so we are excited to be an example for the rest of the state.”

Although the current class is nearing capacity, Boeve encourages people to continue contact as they for upcoming for summer classes

The My PI classes start this week at Wasilla High School and run every Tuesday and Thursday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

For more information about the My PI classes, please contact Talon Boeve at (907) 861-8316, or talon.boeve@matsugov.us. There is also information about the program available on the “My PI Alaska” Facebook page.