Real world scenario provides hands-on practice for CERT students

An earthquake rocks the area, leaving a path of destruction that includes toppled structures, fires, and a mass casualty, all of which emergency teams must contend with and treat.

This very real-word scenario was all part of the hands-on culmination of the training of the recent Matanuska Susitna Borough Community Emergency Responder Team (CERT) training class. It was the last hurdle students needed to tackle before graduating and becoming FEMA-trained CERT members.

“This is the first CERT class we’ve held out here in about 2 years,” said Willow CERT member Brenda McCain.

People participating in the training, along with members of local fire and emergency response teams, learned, studied, and practiced over two weekends.

On Nov. 20, students participated in a surprisingly cut-throat Jeopardy game and final exam leading to the hands-on scenarios. Students were tasked with securing a scene in which walls and structures had fallen, they had to properly assess and splint wounds, and finally, teams participated in triage and initial treatment of “victim survivors” of the earthquake.

To make that happen, McCain reached out to Willow and Houston residents via social media seeking volunteers willing to get dirty and go through moulage-the application of fake injuries ranging from an impaled branch into a chest, to inhalation burns that compromised airways, to the always interesting panicked and traumatized, though not injured survivors.

“We’ve never asked for volunteers like this. I’m pleased with the response.”

“I’m part of the CERT team, and I did this 3 years ago,” said Ron Brooks, whose service to CERT is a family tradition, as even his mother-in-law, affectionately known as Grandma Jo, is a volunteer member.

For this exercise, he played the role of someone who was injured when a branch was impaled into his chest and he’d gone ahead and removed it. It was up to the CERT students to identify and assess his injuries and determine the level of severity until certified medical teams could arrive.

“It’s a way of giving back and volunteering,” added Berna Brooks, who said she is proud to help support her community, saying: “CERT team is there to help the fire department and help with emergency services. And we’re helping our neighbors and family with this.”

The CERT training allows people to get education and training on what to look for during different disasters, and how to respond in one’s own home before going out to the community to provide assistance.

For anyone considering whether to become a part of CERT, Ron says “I think you can never have enough people prepared for whatever could happen, and the more people you get active in it, the better for everybody.”

After the teams completed the practical application, there was an opportunity to provide feedback and look for areas to improve upon.

“Remember, this is training. It will feel very different if you’re ever called on to provide assistance. What you’re doing takes hard work and that’s good.” said Brooks to the students.