One of my responsibilities at Otis is serving on the College's Emergency Response Team (ERT) and this past week a group of ERT members along with some of the College's floor safety wardens and student Resident Assistants took part in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.
The program was created in 1985 by the Los Angeles Fire Department in recognition of the fact that in a major disaster professional response resources will be stretched beyond demand and community members, if trained could help with their safety and the safety of their families, neighbors and friends. The course included instruction in disaster survival and basic rescue skills. We learned about how maximize our safety during and after a major disaster and how to help others. The program has trained over 60,000 members of the community in the Los Angeles area and has been so successful that since 1994 it has been taught nationwide.
It was enlightening to realize that even some basic preparation- food and water, extra clothing, first aid kits and the like can make a big difference. Having a personal disaster safety kit in your office, your car and a larger kit for you and your family at home will ensure that you will be more prepared when a major event occurs. To learn more about the CERT program in Los Angeles, click here.
I would be remiss if I did not extend a big thank you on behalf of all of us who completed the training to our LAFD firefighter instructors- Curt, Jennifer, Alex and Sue. They were all really great and we learned a lot from them.
*image from last day of CERT training- learning to safely deal with a small fire. Click on the image for a link to more
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