by Amanda Keverkamp, CERT Team 9, Resident of Crofton Springs
As seen in September 2017 Connections
As you prepare your kids for the familiar routine of the school year, be sure to take a few minutes to make sure your family’s emergency plans are in place.
Issaquah’s CERT Training in Spring 2017 practiced “cribbing,” a technique to rescue victims who have been trapped when something heavy has fallen on them.
Prepping the kids
Just as important as meeting your student’s teacher is knowing the school’s emergency plan. Make sure you know:
- The school’s communications plan,
- Whether the school stocks supplies or kits, or if you can send one with your child, and
- The school’s process for reuniting you and your child during or after an emergency.
Also, talk with your kids about what to do if an emergency happens while school is in session. Ready.gov recommends families go over the following questions together:
- How will you get in touch with each other?
- Who will pick up the kids from school?
- Where will you meet?
- What will you do if your neighborhood is being evacuated?
Don’t forget your college-bound kids! Before your student heads off to campus, make sure they have a personal kit they can throw under their bunk or in their trunk.
Remember to make sure each school has your updated emergency contact information.
Prepping yourself
Why should the kids be the only ones enjoying that butterfly in your stomach excitement ignited by the smell of freshly waxed hallway floors?
Get your back-to-school fix with CERT training! Classes begin September 27, and we have a desk for you!
In just seven short weeks Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training will equip you with the necessary skills to respond to your family’s and community’s needs in the aftermath of a disaster. You will learn fire safety, light search and rescue, basic disaster medical procedures, how to prepare for terrorism and manmade disasters, and more.
Did you know that all fires are made up of three components – fuel, oxygen, and heat – and that by taking away any of these components would be like taking a leg off of a three-legged stool – the stool collapses and in this case, the fire is extinguished. I didn’t either, until CERT class!
The fire safety unit even culminates with a hands-on opportunity to put those new skills to the test by extinguishing a small fire with a fire extinguisher using the P.A.S.S. technique.
If you are interested in learning more about the CERT program visit issaquahcitizencorps.org/cert.html or visit the CERT booth on September 9 at the Issaquah Farmers Market. CERT volunteers would love to answer your questions.
Resources: https://www.ready.gov/kids/make-a-plan
