EMA holds training at Salem campus

by Melody Gustafson
SALEM – A group of more than 50 people gathered Friday for the first day of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training at KSU.

The Los Angeles Fire Department realized in 1985 that there was a need to teach civilians rudimentary skills for responding to catastrophes. Immediately after disaster strikes, people are alone until help arrives. Sometimes the victims greatly outnumber the responders, and manpower becomes a dire necessity. This is why the LAFD developed the program.

Los Angeles benefited from trained citizen volunteers, and it attracted the attention of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Lucian Clewell, Student Government Organization president, approached Tim Long, deputy director of the Columbiana County Emergency Management Agency, about offering a session at the campus.

On Nov. 9, Long began by passing out backpacks full of useful stuff, including gear, flashlights, duct tape, rubber gloves, and first aid “fanny packs” and other things to store together as a disaster supply kit. Everyone received a wrench for turning off utilities.

Long spoke to the audience, who wore hard-hats and vests, about what CERT is all about. “Help yourself first,” he said. “Then you help your neighbors. If you go down, you’re just another victim for everybody else.”

The rest of the morning, Rudy Sacchet, coordinator for the Negley Fire Department and Emergency Medical Service, discussed disaster medical operations. While demonstrating protocol upon first discovering a victim, he described how to open the airway, stop bleeding and treat shock as the main steps in emergency medicine.

Triage is a method of sorting victims according to the severity of injury. This saves time when medical personnel arrive, because they know immediately who is already deceased, who has non-life threatening injuries and who needs treatment right away.

“Disasters come in all shapes and forms,” Sacchet said. “The goal is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people.” He mentioned psychological preparedness as one responsibility of first responders. Spending too much time on a victim that cannot be saved puts others in greater danger.

In the afternoon, Long introduced Winona Fire Department Chief Willie Brantingham. After a presentation about fire supression, everyone went outside for a hands-on lesson. Warren Fire Equipment, Inc. set up a propane machine resembling a sink with sensors on the front. For the drill, pairs approached the fire one by one, pulled the pin, aimed, and put the fire out. Afterward, Warren Fire demonstrated how to use the dry powder and CO2 varieties of extinguishers.

Finally, Long released the group for the day, but everyone will return Nov. 16 for the second half of the program. Upon completion, all participants will be certified and may be called upon to help in their communities.