Preparing for ‘what ifs’ | Hood County CERT offering free disaster training beginning March 20

Amy Jo Schenewark was driving home from dropping off her son at a middle school event one Saturday morning when she came upon a massive house fire.

Using skills that she learned from Hood County CERT, a local disaster training course, Schenewark woke up residents, used fire extinguishers near propane tanks, and made sure other bystanders could assist in providing 911 with the necessary information.

“No one was up, no one was in the area, and no one was on the way to help,” she said. “I believe being trained in emergency situations better prepares you to assist when you encounter yourself in one.”

And that’s exactly why Hood County CERT was formed several years ago.

CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area — like severe thunderstorms, wildfires, and tornadoes in Hood County.

Vickie DiGiovanni, CERT training coordinator and instructor, is one local resident whose family was severely impacted by a tornado.

“I have always been the type of person who is ready and willing to help,” she said, in an email to the HCN. “(But) in 1998, I, along with my family, found ourselves on the end of needing vs. giving when our home was struck by an F5 tornado. What we experienced in the aftermath and the months following that tornado demonstrated that there is always more that can be done to prepare, to help, but planning and preparation are a MUST before that disaster strikes — (because) after may be too late.”

The CERT Basic Training course was created to teach individuals what to do before, during, and after the hazards their communities may face, according to the CERT website.

According to a Hood County CERT information webpage, the training has been available nationally since 1993, through FEMA.

The 20-hour free course trains individuals in basic disaster response skills, such as first-aid, disaster medical operations, disaster psychology (how to relate to people who are in stressful situations), fire safety, utility controls, light search and rescue, and how to recognize terrorism.

“If you've never used a fire extinguisher — or don't know there are different types of fire extinguishers — don't know how to turn off access to gas lines or water main lines, or how to assist at the scene of an accident while waiting for help to arrive, this class is for you,” Schenewark said. “CERT helps you be more prepared, and helps you think outside of the box — as no emergency incident is ever the same — and sometimes we need more than the literal and figurative ‘tools in our toolbox.’”

The CERT basic training course will be offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays, March 20 through April 1. Once individuals finish all 20 hours of instruction, they will receive a CERT basic certification qualifying them to apply for membership on a CERT team, either locally or in another state.

Attendance at all six classes is required in order to receive CERT certification on graduation day Saturday, April 1.

“When people ask why they should join CERT, I ask them a few questions,” said Tim Payne, CERT trainer and instructor. “’What if your luck runs out? Are you and your neighbors ready to come out swinging after a disaster? Can you help yourselves for the first few hours and reduce the burden on professional responders? Don’t you want to be survivors and not victims?’ The second that tornado, wildfire, or flood arrives, the answers become really important.”

Paul Petty, CERT quartermaster, trainer, and instructor, has been a CERT member since 2001, which he said has given him numerous opportunities to help neighbors during and after disasters.

"CERT training gives you extra tools to help your family and neighbors in the time of a disaster,” he said. “Besides the confidence that I do know what to do if a disaster happens, I have gone on to become a CERT certified trainer, which has given me the opportunity to train others.”

Classes for the CERT Basic Training course will be offered Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m.-noon at the Hood County Emergency Operations Center, 401 Deputy Larry Miller Drive, in the large conference room. Seating is limited and will be capped at 30 attendees.

To sign up for the course, email hoodcocert@gmail.com with your name and phone number.

“The CERT Basic Training class last winter served to reaffirm that we need to take care of ourselves, remain safe, but then be ready to assist in ways that are indeed helpful to our neighbors, our community, and to those professionally trained responders that may not get to us for hours or days after that disaster strikes,” DiGiovanni added. “Are you ready? I am happy to say that I am more so than I was back in 1998, partly because of my CERT training and additional classes I take each month to help me stay sharp and ready. What about YOU?”