TEEN CERT Trains Students In Disaster Preparedness and Response

As the weekend of April 30 approached, the forecast called for severe thunderstorms Friday evening and continue sporadically through Sunday. Friday evening, the class of nearly one hundred Boy and Girl Scouts, including adult leaders, parents, siblings and friends sat anxiously awaiting the start of an unprecedented training event. It would be the single largest TEEN CERT class ever assembled and would be taught completely outdoors. Friday night started off windy, but by 8pm the torrential rain beating on the roof of the pavilion became so intense that the instructors needed to shout to be heard.

Four Boy Scout and two Girl Scout troops participated in the emergency preparedness and response training at Indian Camp Creek Park in northern St. Charles County. The specialized training provided students the skills necessary to perform under pressure by developing multi-functional response teams that supplement community emergency services during major disasters. The St. Charles County Teen Community Emergency Response Team (TEEN CERT) program is made up entirely of volunteer citizens and is more than 230 members strong.

While many people will respond to others in need without any training, one goal of the TEEN CERT program is to help these citizens do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves or others in unnecessary danger. With the mandatory 20-hours of training, students learn to manage utilities and put out small fires, and treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock. TEEN CERT also trains students how to provide basic medical aid, search for and rescue victims safely, organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.

Because the program is not based within any particular city or municipality, but registered as countywide in St. Charles, St. Louis and Lincoln, the TEEN CERT program does not qualify for state funding or Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grants through the St. Louis Area Regional Response System (STARRS). The program is free of charge to anyone wanting the training and operates entirely without a budget or funding. The popularity of the St. Charles County program has grown and is out-performing many of the programs that receive local, state and private funding.

Last year, the Boy Scouts of America and US Department of Homeland Security teamed up to develop an initiative called “Emergency Preparedness BSA” as part of the BSA’s 100th anniversary. The Greater St. Louis Area Council BSA and district executives requested the support of the St. Charles County TEEN CERT program to pilot the more advanced emergency preparedness training program to Scouts from the Boone Trails District. With the help of firefighters, paramedics, doctors, and other qualified instructors, the program teaches medical, fire safety, and search and rescue. In addition, the St. Charles program has a very gifted crisis counselor who teaches the psychology aspect of an emergency to the participants.

From the pilot Boy Scout TEEN CERT training that is happening in the Boone Trails District of the Greater St. Louis Area Council, other districts, groups and organizations are requesting the assistance of the TEEN CERT program. The team portion of the curriculum is stressed and expanded on to allow the students a chance to build trusts and share ideas. This can also help individual schools with trained TEEN CERT program graduates to determine if they want to incorporate the program into the school’s Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) as a team or simply for individual student’s education.

The program has three major goals: First, it provides students with a knowledge base on the effects of natural and man-made disasters and their emotional, social, and economic impacts. Secondly, it aims to build decision-making and problem solving skills and strategies to help students make informed decisions regarding readiness, response and recovery and mitigation efforts to reduce loss of life and property. Lastly, the program provides students with hands-on training using reality-driven drills and exercises.

The St. Charles County TEEN CERT program is recognized as a model for other CERT and disaster response and preparedness programs around the nation. The program is open to anyone 12 years and older, including adults. It is the same program as the adult CERT course, but includes a great deal more information and emphasis on team building and emotional health.

Local Boy Scouts Train in Disaster Preparedness

Boone Trails District Boy Scout Troop 390 hosted TEEN CERT training and now, 26 new Scouts are educated about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trained in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Scoutmaster David Merriott enlisted the assistance of St. Charles County TEEN CERT program coordinator Mark Rosenblum to bring the program to his Scouts. Utilizing the professional expertise of several instructors, including Lincoln County Fire District Chief Michael Cherry (who taught the fire suppression and cribbing sections), the training was completed over a weekend campout at Cuiver River State Park.

Not only did the Scouts complete TEEN CERT, they also earned a couple of merit badges, including Emergency Preparedness and First Aid, and are eligible to earn Safety and Fire Safety. In addition, they completed the requirements for the Boy Scouts Emergency Preparedness BSA award.

Teen Community Emergency Response Team (TEEN CERT) training and Scouting make a great partnership, and there are numerous ways to involve Scouting in preparing for emergencies. Local emergency managers and other public safety officials can utilize scarce resources while promoting emergency preparedness within their communities.

Both TEEN CERT and Emergency Preparedness merit badge require students to take part in a simulated disaster drill. During the recent TEEN CERT training, Scouts were deployed to assist Lincoln County Fire District search for and rescue a lost camper in the heavily wooded area of the park.

During an actual disaster, Scouts trained in TEEN CERT can help triage patients and provide first aid, as well as other valuable services. In addition, these young adults can perform crowd and traffic control, serve as runners, help with collection and distribution of needed items, and assist in setting up shelters and serving food.

Because of the higher level of training that TEEN CERT provides to Scouts, they could be a valuable resource to support emergency personnel in major events, such as floods, tornadoes, hazardous materials incidents, severe thunderstorms, winter storms, house fires, and many other natural or man-made hazards.

To learn more about the TEEN CERT program, contact Mark Rosenblum at 636-332-0790 or mark.rosenblum@juno.com.

Hundreds Honor American Flag during Annual Boy Scout Flag Retirement Ceremony

Our CERTs had the distinct honor of being invited to participate in the 6th Annual Flag Retirement Ceremony on Sunday, June 7th at T. R. Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri.

About 1,500 worn, tattered or torn American flags were retired during the ceremony. As many of the flags came from area businesses and homes, there were several flags that had been flown outside the U.S. with almost 100 flags from U.S. embassies or consulates that were retired.

The public was invited to attend and before the official ceremony began, there were a couple of weather-related delays that forced everyone to seek shelter inside the ballpark. There were displays from the various branches of the military and music from the St. Charles County Choral Arts Society.

The ceremony location was new this year. T. R. Hughes Ballpark offered ample parking facilities for the event which grows larger each year. Even though the event is hosted by O'Fallon Boy Scout Troop 858, there is participation from a great many scout troops from several other communities. This event is considered to be one of the largest single Boy Scout flag retirement ceremonies in the country to be held in one day.

In a long but beautifully moving ceremony that began “I am your Flag. I was born on June 14, 1777. I am more than cloth shaped into a design. I am the refuge of the world's oppressed people. I am the silent sentinel of Freedom. I am the emblem of the greatest sovereign nation on earth...”, hundreds of uniformed scouts and guests honored and showed respect to our flag in this formal military style celebration.

Exercise drill helps prepare community for possible disasters

By Mark Rosenblum

April 7, 2009 2:32PM CST

St. Charles County, MO - United States of America (Press Release) April 7, 2009 --

Early on the cold, rainy morning of March 28, a small airplane headed for Spirit of St. Louis Airport, was brought down by severe weather in the O’Fallon Sports Park off of Highway K in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Not really, but this was the “real-time” simulated scenario for the annual St. Charles Countywide disaster exercise. Numerous emergency teams, first responders and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members were given the opportunity to practice and refine their emergency procedures. While emergency crews worked through their disaster plan, police cadets, school students and adults learned what the patients go through in these situations by playing the role of the victims.

The exercise, officially named "Operation Road Warrior", tested the county’s CERT, emergency responders and mutual aid providers in stress-filled environment in which personnel, equipment and other resources are deployed and mobilized.

St. Charles County disaster response participants include CERT members from St. Charles City, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, O’Fallon, St. Charles County TEEN CERT, St. Peters/Central County, Weldon Spring, and Wentzville. There were participants from other cities including Maryland Heights, Black Jack, Independence, Town & Country, Kirkwood and Eureka.

With more than 200 participants including nearly 60 volunteers playing victims, family members and news media, the county's first ever “real-time” deployment call-out exercise is being considered one of the largest full-scale drills organized among all previous exercises in the St. Louis/St. Charles metropolitan area. More than 20 organizations participated, including the O’Fallon Police and Fire Department; St. Charles County Ambulance District, other municipal fire and law enforcement agencies; Crider Center for Mental Health, St. Charles County Department of Emergency Management, St. Charles County Citizen Corps Council, as well as the regions first TEEN CERT, and other mutual aid organizations.

This exercise was an important educational tool not only for the CERT members for whom the drill was designed but also for the volunteers, victims and observers to see the significant role that local disaster relief agencies and professional first responders play in high stress scenes involving incident command, scene control, victim needs and assessments, logistics coordination, and multi-agency communication.

The CERT program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to major disaster situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site.

For more information http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14345074473

Volunteers respond to soggy simulation

By Elizabeth Perry
Tuesday, March 31, 2009 5:15 AM CDT


Saturday morning was rainy and cold, but volunteers still gathered in O'Fallon Sports Park to play victims in a simulated plane crash.


They were part of a Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, exercise. CERT volunteers have checked on people whose utilities went out during an ice storm and have sandbagged during floods.

During this exercise, CERT volunteers were to locate and safely move victims and give basic first aid. CERT volunteers also were learning to contain a disaster scene, so people didn't wander in and disrupt lifesaving care.

Volunteer Karen Conner-Hatcher applied gory makeup to the "victims." She is not a professional makeup artist, but it is a high compliment to say her work looked ghastly.

Conner-Hatcher said the more realistic the makeup, the easier it is for CERT members to get into the event.

T.J. Miles, 11, of O'Fallon had a puckered slash on his face.

"I like wearing the makeup. It's fun," Miles said. "Some of the people here are really messed up.

"Miles mentioned a girl with sugar glass sticking out of her forehead. The girl, Hannah Puckett, 11, is a Central Elementary student whose mom is a CERT volunteer.

Puckett had posed as a victim for CERT trainings five times. On Saturday, her role was a fan of a celebrity also on the fake flight, played by 17-year-old Samantha Simms.

Puckett clutched a Photoshopped picture of Simms standing with "Twilight" film star Robert Pattinson. In the scenario, Puckett tried to get an autograph from Simms just as the plane was crashing because the pilot was drunk.

Miriam Hannibal, 17, and Jaime Nardi, 16, played siblings separated from their father. Nardi spoke little so she wouldn't disturb the burn makeup on her face.

Hannibal said they had taken their roles so seriously during previous CERT scenarios that people thought they'd actually been injured.

Both want to become actresses, and they got into character imagining what it would've been like on the plane before it crashed.

"It's just a matter of opening your eyes as a victim," Hannibal said.

The victims piled into a junked plane and sat on the ground covered in blue tarps. Their corn syrup blood pooled in the rain as the actors cried for loved ones. About 11 a.m., organizers called the victims back, few CERT volunteers were in sight, and the victims were in real peril of hypothermia.

"We would have been dead already. The plane crashed at 6:50," Puckett said.

O'Fallon police Detective Sgt. Robert Kendall said the weather brought the training to an early close, between 1 and 2 p.m.

Plane crash situation sharpens response of crews

March 30, 2009
O’Fallon
by Kris Kolk

On Saturday, March 28, a simulated airplane crash appeared near the soccer fields at the O’Fallon Sports Park. Aircraft wreckage, fire, flares, and “victims” showing a variety of wounds, scattered the grounds. Other “passengers” waited a couple hundred yards away—hoping to be found and then rescued. Further, a debris pile trapped dummy victims.

The site seemed surreal. Amidst the “blood” and screaming, there was an eerie sense of calmness. This was, after all, a choreographed simulation intended to test the capability of the St. Charles County CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams), emergency responders and mutual aid providers.

St. Charles County W.O.R.L.D.S. was fortunate that O’Fallon Police Officer Diana Damke introduced us to Norman Nieder from Cottleville CERT.

Nieder explained that this exercise had been planned since November, following a drill in September. An assessment period allowed participants and planners to determine what went right, what to do differently and how to make an environment more challenging.

Nieder showed us into a staging area where participants portraying victims were getting into their roles. The group was a mixture of children and adults, with fake injuries ranging from a gash on the cheek to compound fractures.

Volunteers included some method-acting Thespians from Timberland High School, sporting full blood and injury make-up.

We were then led down to a pile of rubble under which life-sized and life-weighted manikins were trapped and where Cliff Smith, CERT Instructor, manned the pile. Smith described a procedure called “cribbing.” Using a combination of levers, braces and fulcrums, a cribbing team was to carefully move pieces of the pile, making sure to keep as much pressure off those trapped by the rubble.

Smith, from the not-for-profit corporation, People Helping People, Inc., showed much enthusiasm about the project. He said that in a classroom environment, there may be simulation exercises using tables and concrete blocks, but nothing to this extent.

An exercise of such scale gives participants an opportunity to refine emergency procedures, so that responding almost becomes second nature.

An emergency responder may think “I remember I did this one time in the practice session and now it’s the real thing,” Nieder said.

The event did present an unscheduled actual emergency when one of the participants seemed overcome by cold. An ambulance responded to this coinciding, real-world incident.

Planned as one of the largest full-scale drills organized among all previous exercises in the St. Louis/St. Charles metropolitan area, the exercise was cut short due to cold, rainy weather.

St. Charles County disaster response participants include members of CERT groups from St. Charles City, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, O’Fallon, St. Charles Community College, St. Charles County, St. Peters/Central County, Weldon Spring and Wentzville.

Also participating was the region’s first TEEN CERT. This exercise was the first time the teen responders were deployed alongside adult CERT teams. Other participants were to come from Maryland Heights, Creve Coeur, Town & Country, Eureka, Black Jack and Crestwood.

O’Fallon Police and Fire Department, St. Charles County Ambulance District, American Red Cross, Crider Center for Mental Health, and the St. Charles County Department of Emergency Management were all anticipated to participate. Other municipalities on scene included Independence Fire and Washington University EMT as well as other mutual aid organizations.

http://sccworlds.com/

Centralized response center to open in Portage des Sioux

Dedication set for Emergency Operations Center

By Kalen Ponche
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 3:13 AM CDT

The northern end of St. Charles County will have a working Emergency Operations Center just in time for the flooding season.

St. Charles County Councilman Jerry Daugherty, D-District 6, started working on creating an Emergency Operations Center in January of 2008. Work is expected to be completed by the dedication scheduled for Saturday.

The Emergency Operations Center is located inside the old St. Francis of Assisi school at the intersection of Second and Farnham streets.

The facility will provide first responders, from police officers to firefighters, a central headquarters from which to work during an emergency situation.

"I think the main thing is during a flood or a tornado we'll have a central spot for people to get information," Daugherty said. "Last year we handed out food and water and cleaning supplies to people who were flooded."

In the past during flood or ice storms, the emergency responders didn't have a place to work.

"In the 1993 flood, our emergency operations center was a johnboat and a bag phone with a can of Spam and a jar of pickles," Daugherty said.

Finding a place to build a headquarters has been a lifelong dream for Daugherty, he said.

Work began on the project last January and by the time the Mississippi started to flood last spring, an elevated floor had been installed and phone lines were being put in.

Four lateral filing cabinets and office furniture were donated, Daugherty said. AmerenUE donated three computer systems and AT&T ran DSL service to the room. The project also received cash donations from the Land Between the Rivers Historical Society and an individual.

The money allowed organizers to purchase map cases that also were elevated. Now city maps and documents can come out of Mayor Mark Warner, the city clerk and Jerry Daugherty's homes.

The project also gives the city of Portage des Sioux a place from which to build a city website and a location for people to get information.

The city has planned a dedication ceremony from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday outside the center.

Daugherty said he hopes to recognize all of the people who helped the project come together. County Executive Steve Ehlmann will be the keynote speaker and the Orchard Farm High School marching band will perform. Area fire departments are expected to have fire trucks on display. Daugherty said a helicopter might touch down as well.

The Land Between the Rivers Historical Museum, located in the same building as the operation center, will be open to visitors.

Attendees are asked to RSVP to Mayor Mark Warner so the city can buy enough food.

Want to go?

WHAT: Dedication for the Portage des Sioux Emergency Operations Center and City Hall
WHEN: 10 a.m.-noon Saturday
WHERE: Farnham and Second streets, Portage des Sioux; located inside the old St. Francis school building
EVENTS: Presentation of colors; keynote speaker St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann; barbecue pork steak lunch; performance by Orchard Farm High School marching band; displays from emergency response agencies
REGISTER: RSVP to Mayor Mark Warner at 636-899-0640 or mwsparky@sbcglobal.net

O'Fallon looking for citizen responders

By Elizabeth Perry
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 3:13 AM CST

For the first time, the city of O'Fallon is developing its own Citizen Emergency Response Team.

The team is composed of resident volunteers willing to help the police during crises.

O'Fallon Police Officer Andy Stowers said the class should appeal to anyone who thinks people "need to be able to take care of ourselves."

Seven people have signed up for CERT classes. Stowers said he hopes for 25 participants.

Many other communities in the county have CERT programs, and Stowers said officials who run those programs were resources for him.

"Everybody has helped me," Stowers said. "I couldn't do it without community support."

Shalom Shoaf, the CERT coordinator for the St. Charles Fire Department, was one of those people in the community who provided support.

Shoaf said she and Stowers talked about necessary paperwork and how to gain support for the program.

Shoaf said CERT has been around since the late 1970s, forming after an earthquake in Mexico killed 800 rescuers who were trying to clear a building. The idea is to train volunteers to increase their chances of survival and make them more effective in emergencies, Shoaf said.

Shoaf said her team is utilized more than any other in the county.

"We deploy my CERT team in the city quite a bit," Shoaf said.

Volunteer team members went door to door in St. Charles during an ice storm a couple years ago to see if residents needed help. Shoaf said her team of volunteers has safely evacuated nursing homes.

"We have to be out there ready to help our neighbors," said Phillip Yocum, an evidence officer with the Wentzville Police Department and a CERT organizer.

Stowers said Yocum also advised him.

Yocum said he was impressed by the spirit of volunteerism among his team. There is a waiting list for volunteers who want to take part in Wentzville's CERT program, he said.

Wentzville will also be conducting CERT classes for Wentzville residents Jan. 26 with CERT classes for teenagers starting Feb. 19.

Jim Sease, a volunteer who started Dardenne Prairie's CERT team, said he was glad to help with the formation of O'Fallon's team.

"I am personally excited to see O'Fallon get a program," Sease said.

Sease said the two cities are like a zipper, with O'Fallon families and Dardenne Prairie families interwoven.

Volunteer programs like CERT are important because the federal government is not always available to help right away in emergencies, Sease said.

Sease said CERT is important for another reason.

"There are times when the first responders become the victims themselves," Sease said.

First Community Credit Union donated $580 and Peoples Bank donated $500 to the program in O'Fallon, which does not have government funding yet, Stowers said.

The class has a $25.00 per-person fee to defray the cost of the program, Stowers said.

Stowers said the program is good for anybody interested in disaster services or emergency management.

Residents will learn how to be prepared for a disaster by packing kits containing, food, water and extra medication to keep them going for at least two days.

They'll learn fire safety, first aid, how to safely lift heavy objects and how to help others coping with disaster.

Search and rescue will also be covered in the three-day class.

Participants who take the class will get a backpack full of survival gear and supplies.

If you go:

WHAT: O'Fallon's Citizen Emergency Response Team Course
WHERE: 100 N. Main Street, O'Fallon
WHEN: Feb. 20 - 22
CONTACT: Officer Andy Stowers, 636-379-5686

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.ofallon.mo.us/PO/CERT

Fire chief appointed to state committee

Mason has 30 years of fire-related experience

By Latreecia Wade
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 3:18 AM CST

Chief Russ Mason, of Central County Fire and Rescue, has sacrificed a lot to serve the residents of the fire district, and now residents throughout the state will benefit from his benevolence.

Mason, 51, of St. Peters, recently was appointed to the Advisory Committee for 911 Service Oversight by Gov. Matt Blunt.

Mason said he was recommended to the governor's office by the Missouri Fire Service Alliance because he is vice president of the Missouri Association of Fire Chiefs. He also is president of the Professional Fire and Fraud Investigation Association.

"A representative of each major group in the state get together and talk about joint issues related to fire safety," Mason said. "An opening for a fire service representative became vacant and I was chosen to fill the seat."

The husband and father of four has been with Central County for 14 years, and before that was with the Missouri Division of Fire Safety for eight years; he has 30 years of fire-related experience.

"I got into it (fire safety) as a volunteer firefighter growing up in North St. Louis County," Mason said. "The rest is history."

Mason said a career in fire safety was the last thing on his mind at first, until a conversation at a baseball game changed his mind.

"The local leagues needed a coach and I heard one of the guys was a volunteer firefighter and he told me about it and that was it," Mason said. "I knew what I wanted to do."

In 1977, he began his fire service career as a volunteer firefighter in Bolivar. In 1982, he was appointed chief of the Bolivar Fire Department.

Mason served as assistant chief for the Rolla Fire Department from 1985 to 1987. He then moved to St. Charles County after accepting a position as an investigator for the Missouri Division of Fire Safety.

In 1991, Mason was promoted to deputy chief and chief investigator in charge of the Criminal Investigation Unit for the Missouri Division of Fire Safety.

Mason joined the St. Peters Fire Protection District as an assistant chief in 1995. He was promoted to the rank of deputy chief in 1998 with the consolidation of the St. Peters and St. Charles fire protection districts. He became chief of Central County Fire and Rescue in February 2003.

"He's highly professional," Assistant Fire Chief Brian Ochs said about Mason. "He's very well versed on every aspect of fire service. He would be a great asset to the state committee."

Mason has a bachelor's degree in fire service administration from Western Illinois University. His appointment to the committee is subject to Senate confirmation for a term ending on April 9, 2010, according to a news release from the governor's office.

ROCKWOOD SCHOOLS: Staff learn rescue techniques in mock drill

Student "victims" like cool makeup

By Mary Shapiro
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:04 PM CST

A group of middle school teachers, carrying heavily-bandaged sixth-grader Nick Bertich on a makeshift cardboard stretcher, quickly puts him down in a hallway in Selvidge Middle School when an earthquake aftershock warning sounds Nov. 12.

As his group of "rescuers" exits the building without him, Nick, taped up almost mummy style, is aided by Metro West Fire Protection District personnel in getting himself free.

Smiling, Nick showed off his realistic "injury" makeup, saying "I'm supposed to be a person with a head injury and two broken legs."

"This makeup is really cool, but the best part was being trapped under all the boards," Nick admitted.

Nick, along with other Selvidge students, staff from all six Rockwood School District middle schools, and local police and firefighters took part in a mock earthquake disaster training exercise at the school, 235 New Ballwin Road in Ballwin.

It was the final day, and a kind of "final exam," of a three-day training exercise, allowing Rockwood Crisis Team members from each of the district's middle schools to learn the skills they'll need to react quickly and efficiently if ever faced with a major disaster at their school.

They learned, for example, how to fight a fire with a fire extinguisher, how to extricate someone trapped in a dangerous situation and how to provide first aid.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) instructors from the Metro West, Eureka and Fenton fire protection districts, Ballwin and St. Louis County police, as well as other CERT volunteers, led the training.

The scenario for last Wednesday was that an earthquake had hit the area, causing a disastrous situation at Selvidge. Rockwood Crisis Team members had to spring into action, make critical decisions and help the injured.

The school's lobby, for instance, was turned into a "triage" medical area, with different areas for those severely injured and not so severely, said Metro West Lt. John Bradley.

Selvidge Principal Sean Stryhal, looking on, said, "The best thing about this exercise is that our staff from all the middle schools can get firsthand experience."

He said the idea for the training session came from Selvidge assistant principal Mike Anselmo following a crisis-training workshop between Rockwood officials and local emergency services providers in September.

"We needed to make certain we know what to do in a crisis, and that's why this CERT training was important," Anselmo said. "And this was a great way for students to do their part."

Down a health science area hallway, "trapped" student victims, screaming "help!" at the top of their lungs, were buried under plywood debris, which supposedly was part of a collapsed ceiling.

Pieces of pipe were used by rescuers as crowbars and the plywood was used as "cribbing" to help lift debris off "victims."

"All this debris becomes tools; they're learning," Bradley explained.

Bill Roach, with the St. Louis County Police Office of Emergency Management, praised the effort.

"Especially in a catastrophe like a tornado or earthquake, you can't have enough trained people," Roach said. "Having trained people scattered through the schools is a valuable resource. We stress this kind of training because the time to figure out how to react is not when a ceiling has collapsed. We hope the students here can take this training home to help their parents."

Bradley agreed that in a disaster, emergency service responders could be spread thin, "and trained teachers can respond faster and make a greater impact."

"This is the first time we've done this activity, but we hope it will continue," he said.

Police school resource officers took part in the training. Selvidge's SRO, Ballwin police officer Dave Ovca, said the exercise "has given me an opportunity to interact with staff from various schools and see how we can all work together in an emergency situation, where working on students makes it realistic."

"Staff did well, showing a lot of flexibility, and the kids did a great job, too," Ovca said.

About two dozen Selvidge students had the chance to volunteer as victims and be made up with remarkably realistic "wounds" created by CERT trainer LaFaye Young.

"We prepped the kids, telling them to say how much their burns and wounds hurt and to yell and scream," Bradley said. "That was a way to build in 'stressers' for rescuers, challenging them psychologically. It's been pretty loud, which is why we chose a part of school where there wouldn't be too much class disruption."

A group of bandaged "walking wounded" - seventh-graders Hayley Nebrig and Molly Grotha and eighth-graders Jessie Berger and Gabby Tecklenburg - said they loved the chance to emote.

"I wanted to do this because I thought it would be fun and wanted to help our teachers learn," Hayley said. "My rescuers did good, asking if I was OK and what I needed."

For Molly, the best part "was getting to scream and being rolled on a stretcher."

"I'm going to leave my makeup on when I go home," she said.

"I really liked being buried in rubble," Jessie said. "I played someone who was blind, but I knew there were always people right there to help me."

Saying she hoped she could hang on to her "leg wound," Gabby said that if a disaster actually happened, "our teachers need to know what to do so a lot of us wouldn't be killed - like we supposedly were this time."

In a debriefing session, Metro West's Mike Thiemann, coordinator of community services and disaster preparedness, praised the group's response - even those who left Nick behind in the aftershock.

"Rescuers can't rescue anyone if they're injured themselves," he told the group.

Tina Priese, a business education teacher at LaSalle Springs Middle School, said the activity "helped me learn organization and to set priorities in a crisis."

"Before, I had never used a fire extinguisher and had no idea how to lift debris off somebody," Priese said.

Katie Kowalik, a seventh-grade language arts teacher at LaSalle Springs, said she learned how to stay calm.

"The teamwork was great, and I was surprised how much you can lift with the proper tools," Kowalik said.

"We found out a lot about disaster first-aid and the importance of planning, knowing what you're getting into," said Libby Guimbarda, an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Crestview Middle School. After this, I'm motivated to volunteer for more training."

Battalion Chief Ed Beirne of Metro West, which organized the effort, said, "We've been able to teach not just competency but confidence, so staff can take care of issues before we get there. This kind of hands-on exercise makes the difference."

More in Maryville involved in addressing emergencies

Village creates volunteer team

By Aaron Sudholt
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 3:01 AM CST

Maryville emergency responders will get extra help the next time the village is hit with a major wind storm, power outage or other emergency.

The Maryville Community Emergency Responders Team will provide 14 certified volunteers who can check on the elderly and answer non-emergency disaster response calls.

"The snow storms from last year were a big factor (in forming the group)," said Dan Wright, a member of CERT who serves on the Maryville Community Improvement Board. "We could have used some people volunteering in the community."

Snow storms that hit the St. Louis area during the 2007-2008 winter made roads treacherous, cut power and sometimes trapped people in their homes. According to the National Weather Service, St. Louis received 20.2 inches of snow that winter.

The snow was a big factor in forming the team, village officials said.

"We didn't have the manpower to make sure the roads were open and then still go door to door to check on some of our residents," said Mayor Larry Gulledge. "Our Fire Department and our Police Department were running in every direction."

The Maryville Community Improvement Board spearheaded the decision to have the CERT team formed. They sought out volunteers and had them trained by members of the Collinsville CERT team.

The team will be under the authority of the Maryville Fire Department and Maryville Police Department and deployed as needed.

"If we have any kind of emergency here, we'll call them out, either to direct traffic or go door to door to check on residents," Gulledge said.

The team was officially activated at the Nov. 5 Village Board meeting.

The CERT team will direct traffic and make sure elderly or ill residents are safe during such emergencies, when the weather can make it especially dangerous for them.

Each member works on a volunteer basis and is not paid for their commitment to the team.

EUREKA: City signs on for CodeRED service

Residents receive severe weather alerts

By Danette Thompson
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:27 AM CDT

In an emergency, when seconds count, Eureka residents now have the option of an earlier warning.

The city recently contracted with CodeRED Emergency Notification System, a high-speed telephone communications system that allows city officials to send a message to residents alerting them to an emergency situation.

Eureka is the first city in St. Louis County to make use of the system.

In Franklin County, Union was the first to contract with CodeRED. Other cities in Franklin County, including Pacific, are looking at similar notification systems.

Eureka police successfully used the system for the first time last week, to notify residents of a potentially threatening storm.

"The system can call up to 50,000 numbers per hour," Police Chief Mike Wiegand said. "It's a great tool for the city and a valuable service to our residents and businesses. We can not only notify people about severe weather incidents such as floods or storms, but any other emergency situation that would require immediate action."

Wiegand said CodeRED could be used in the event of boil-water notices, missing children, evacuations and evacuation routes, fires, floods, bomb threats, hostage situations, hazardous material spills, gas leaks or any other situation that could pose an immediate threat to health and safety.

The system also could be used to notify Community Emergency Response Team volunteers, and direct them to areas of the city in need of their help, he said.

CERT volunteers assist emergency response personnel during crisis situations.

City officials record the message and then CodeRED delivers it to a person or answering machine either citywide or to an affected area of the city specified by officials.

For example, in the event of severe weather, the system would contact only residents and businesses in the direct path of the storm.

CodeRED weather warnings are sent a few minutes in advance of the activation of warning sirens, and weather radio or media alerts. Calls to affected residents begin five seconds after the National Weather Service issues a severe weather alert.

The service is available only to residents and businesses within the city limits.

Aldermen recently agreed to a yearlong contract with CodeRED at a cost of $11,200. Under that contract, the city gets 18,500 minutes of notifications.

Wiegand said with Eureka's population of a little more than 10,000 residents, that cost breaks down to just over $1 per person.

Eureka residents or businesses must register if they want to receive CodeRED alerts.

You can contact Danette Thompson at dthompson@yourjournal.com.

How to register for CodeRED

The CodeRED emergency notification service is available to Eureka residents and businesses only.

To register, go to the city's Web site at www.eureka.mo.us and click on the CodeRED icon.

Residents without Internet access can visit any public library to use a computer for registration, or call the Eureka Police Department at (636) 938-6600, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

You will need to provide the following information when registering: first and last names, physical address (no post office boxes), city, state, ZIP code and primary telephone number.

An alternative telephone number, such as a cell phone number, also can be entered. The system works with cell phone numbers but requires a Eureka street address.

In registering, there is a TDD-only option for hearing-impaired residents. Messages delivered to phone numbers marked TDD only will be delivered in a TDD/TTY format.

Residents who have a listed land line in Eureka already are registered for the CodeRED weather alert. Registration is required to receive other alerts.

Businesses, TDD users, residents who have moved or changed their telephone numbers within the last 12 months, people with unlisted telephone numbers, and cell phone users are not automatically registered for the weather or other alerts.

What members say about CERT training

"I think the biggest reward of the CERT program is the assurance of the opportunity to be able to deal with disaster in a safe, effective and professional way. There is nothing worse than to feel helpless when your family, friends and community needs your help. The training also teaches you the limits of your capability, so your safety is not compromised. There is the potential in these classes to be as prepared as one decides to be. Everyone can take something home from these classes that could easily save lives in the event of even a minor disaster."

-Delbert W. Wittenauer, Monroe County commissioner

"I was surprised at the depth of the training. It really helps prepare a person to deal with all sorts of disasters, big or small. I now feel more confident that I can help my family, friends, or community in an emergency situation and would recommend it to anyone."

-Susy Schweigert, public relations representative, Harrisonville Telephone Co.

"With our busy lives and hectic schedules, it was heartwarming to see group of people come together for a common cause. Not often do you find interested citizens willing to give up part of two consecutive weekends to obtain training for something you need to prepare for, but hope you will never have to use."

-Susan Harbaugh, chief financial officer, Human Support Services

"The program has greatly heightened my knowledge of home preparedness and neighborhood/community assistance in the event of emergencies. The 20 hours of education and hands-on learning were very beneficial."

-Bob Hoffmann, retired banker

"I worked in medical field for over 25 years. I have attended many refresher and recertification courses during that time. I found the CERT program a great source of training for lay and professional persons too. I hope that I never have to use the training in our community, but I'm certainly glad that I have the knowledge and skills in case I do. I encourage everyone to take the course even if it is for their own families safety."

-Marilyn Huddleston, booking agent for Steve Davis, "Elvis"

"In talking with people who completed the training in the CERT program, they see a need for a volunteer program where people who are trained to help, know what to expect in a disaster and how to handle it."

-Don Dietz, former County Commissioner

CERT group wants churches involved in disaster plan

By Joe Leicht
Monday, September 15, 2008 9:23 AM CDT

Monroe County's emergency-preparedness leaders want the local communities of faith to join them on the front lines should the area ever be struck with a natural or manmade disaster.

Monroe County Citizens Corps Council President Kim Strellis hosted a meeting of pastors from several churches, inviting them to initiate disaster plans for their congregations and possibly to cooperate in a joint effort to help the county weather a catastrophe.

The meeting was Monday at the Monroe County Courthouse.

"It's great that we have all of these churches together. If you, as pastors, didn't care, you wouldn't be here," Strellis said.

Bi-County Health Department Administrator Tom Smith, a founding member of the county's Community Emergency Response Team, said the December 2006 evacuation of the Monroe County Care & Rehabilitation Center due to an ice storm showed the importance of churches at times of distress.

"We didn't invent this out of whole cloth," Smith said. "(Concord Presbyterian Church of Waterloo) was looking for a project for the betterment of the community. That's when the ice storm hit. The church as well as a number of other groups and individuals evacuated the home, which is a monumental task. And no one was hurt, which is fantastic.

"Most pastors have excellent counseling skills-that's why you're pastors. You are the immediate 'first responders' to your congregation."

Martha Hawn, a mental health professional who is a member of the Citizens Corps Council, said, "the last person (when a disaster hits) some people will want to talk to is a mental health specialist."

"They're going to go to the people they know and trust," she said. "That's the pastors in this room."

Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith (no relation to the health administrator) said churches can provide more than spiritual support during a disaster.

"You have facilities for housing, feeding people and gathering information so our citizens can be informed," he said.

Strellis suggested the clergy designate a representative to become a member of the Citizens Corps.

"It was great to see so many churches from the county represented at the event," the Rev. Mary Beth Hartenstein of St. Paul United Church of Christ in Waterloo said. "Truly it would be my hope that in the event of an actual disaster that we would all lay aside our differences and focus on the most important thing we hold in common-our humanity.

"In a time of crisis, it would be my hope that no one would care whether I am progressive or conservative in my political views, what my opinion is on marriage equality is, or whether I support reproductive rights. It would be my hope that everyone would be willing to hold one another's hand to offer support and care. I hope that this will be an opportunity to work ecumenically together for the common good of all people."

The Rev. Will Hesterberg of Concord Presbyterian Church in Waterloo said getting the churches to assume a role in any disaster plan "only makes logical sense."

"We touch lives everywhere, we are aware of a lot of people and their needs," he said. "And we do have certain resources in our churches that would be helpful in a disaster. (Handling a disaster) is simply too big a job for any one group."

MCCCC 'unified and ready"

By Kim Strellis
Wednesday, September 10, 2008 8:48 AM CDT

The Monroe County Citizen Corps Council's mission is to unify agencies, citizens, communities and resources of Monroe County to develop a coordinated response in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

The by-laws and operating plan were approved in July 2008, marking a new path for our county, involving all the citizens of Monroe County with the goal of being "Unified and Ready." The council is honored to be working through the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency under the direction of Gene Henckler.

The MCCCC is located in Room 14 of the Monroe County Courthouse, 100 S. Main St., Waterloo Illinois. Meetings are at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month and are open to the public.

The County Emergency Management Agency, Room 14, is also open for the public to stop by, ask questions or view the county emergency plan. Please call (618) 939-8681, ext. 214, as office time varies. Also you may view the plan on the Web site monroecountyil.org go to Departments/EMA.

Monroe County Citizen Corps works directly with federal and state guidelines to reflect the Citizen Corps Mission "to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds."

The council also promotes and provides a means of communication and coordination among the Citizen Corps programs throughout Illinois and Missouri.

The council's objectives include:

-Promoting unity between Monroe County Citizens/First Responders/County EMA and an understanding of each entities function and needs in a disaster. Monroe County's "Unified and Ready" campaign, works closely with county government/first responders/educational institutions/seniors/all citizens and groups to meet their needs and educate the citizens on being prepared. An example is the working relationship with the Monroe County Ambulance and EMA office to get the word out to persons who are on power generated life support systems that they need to have a back up battery and they can fill out a form provided by the Ambulance service so their need can be identified with the county.

-Focusing on public education, training and volunteer opportunities for community, family safety and special needs. The Monroe County Council conducts public education and outreach efforts through "ATR" (Assess Think Respond) presentations to civic organizations, scouts, seniors, libraries, businesses, churches, schools and other county venues.

-Overseeing and promoting Monroe County CERT-Community Emergency Response Team. MC CERT's mission is to educate and train citizens of Monroe County to be prepared in the event of a natural or man-made disaster. Classes and training improve individual emergency prevention, preparedness, and response capabilities. Training includes basic first aid, fire suppression PASS, light search and rescue, terrorism and hazardous materials.

in honor of September is National Disaster Preparedness Awareness Month The Monroe County Citizen Corps Council and the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency extend an invitation to you to attend the "Unified and Ready" Monroe County Disaster Preparedness Day from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday (Sept. 13) on the Monroe County Courthouse grounds.

Kim Strellis is a member of MCCCC.

WINDSOR C-1: Teens train in disaster response

Rock Community provides preparedness courses to students


By Trish Wallace
Thursday, September 4, 2008 8:47 AM CDT

In case of a natural disaster or county-wide emergency, a select group of students at Windsor High School could be their classmates' saving grace.

The students make up the school's teen version of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), groups of citizens who are trained to respond to emergencies in their areas in the first several hours following a disaster, such as an earthquake. The trained individuals maintain their immediate locations until emergency personnel can arrive.

Members of Teen CERT at Windsor are chosen from among the school's most elite academic performers. Training for the program occasionally requires students to miss class, so the school is careful to select students with strong academic standing to participate.

This year's Teen CERT training began last week.

Ron Harder, public information officer for Rock Community Fire Protection District, said the first day of training consisted of mostly classroom instruction and included an entire walk-through of the school building. During the walk-through students learned about potential danger sites, such as the commons area that is surrounded by many windows, and where resources such as tools and wood are located.

The second day included more hands-on activities, including cribbing and lever practice for moving heavy material in the event of a building collapse, light search and rescue training and use of fire extinguishers.

As students approached a controlled flame in pairs, Harder said teamwork is the most important goal.

In addition to putting out fires and handling structural damage, the teens involved with the program learn basic first aid, triage and disaster psychology-the impact a disaster can have on them. After the initial two days of training, the group meets again every month.

Teen CERT began four or five years ago with the influence of Deputy Chief Kevin Grimshaw of Rock Community. The idea for Teen CERT was developed during a phone conversation with Ruth Wisdom, a former school nurse at Windsor. She asked Grimshaw how the school should respond to a disaster. Through their conversation, Teen CERT was born.

As a 1984 Windsor graduate, the program is close to Grimshaw's heart.

"That makes it really neat for me," he said. "It's neat to give back."

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Locally and Around the World

New Citizen Corps Blog Launched
http://citizencorps.blogspot.com/

Wentzville teen class graduates from CERT

Youth learn disaster response skills

Sunday, July 27, 2008 7:25 AM CDT

There's no age limit when it comes to emergency responders.

The Wentzville Fire Protection District and Wentzville Police Department, sponsors of the Adult and Teen Community Emergency Response Teams, graduated six members in May from their first Teen CERT class.

The 20-hour Teen CERT program offers training to youth ages 13 to 18. The training teaches first aid procedures, search and rescue procedures, mental health aspects in dealing with disasters, fire suppression and organizational procedures. Two-hour classes were held twice a week at the Wentzville Law Enforcement Center, 1019 Schroeder Creek Blvd. Representatives from the fire district, police department and the Crider Center for Mental Health taught the classes.

Prior to the graduation, the teens spent three hours at Rotary Park, where they practiced their new skills in simulated exercises. Parents of the teens acted as victims of a disaster during a search and rescue simulation, the teens also conducted a simulation search of the area for a missing child. Upon finding the child, they administered the required first aid, stabilized and transported the victim for further assessment.

Program officials say the teens will be a great asset to an already successful CERT program, and that emergency responders can count on them when resources become depleted because of large-scale events.

The next Wentzville sponsored CERT and Teen CERT classes are to start in early September. To sign up or for more information, e-mail officer Phil Yocum at phily@wentzvillemo.org or call him at 636-639-2131.

Crestwood receives equipment to help train residents

Homeland Security money used for citizen response teams

By Steve Birmingham
Saturday, July 19, 2008 9:56 AM CDT

Crestwood citizens trained to help their neighbors during a catastrophic emergency will have a place to store the tools of their trade.

Thanks to the city of Crestwood and the St. Louis Area Regional Response System, or STARRS.

STARRS, an effort of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, uses federal grants to help local governments plan for, protect against and recover from natural or man-made crises.

The agreement to accept the donation from STARRS of 55 backpacks, valued at $50 each, means residents trained as Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, members will be able to carry first-aid kits, tools, safety equipment and other items if they ever have to respond in times of emergencies, said Crestwood Deputy Police Chief Frank Arnoldy.

Arnoldy, who is part of the city's CERT training staff, said "if we didn't have this agreement with STARRS to get these backpacks we'd have to decide whether we would fund it or not."

"What we do is fund, through Homeland Security grants, various resources, whether it's in the fire department, police department, public health or hospitals, that could be needed when a disaster occurs," said STARRS Executive Director Dominic "Nick" Gragnani.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides the money to the St. Louis metropolitan region and STARRS directs it to different initiatives and groups that are underway to help mitigate a disaster or get prepared for one when it does occur, Gragnani said.

One of those initiatives is the Citizen Corps, which "is similar to the Peace Corps, although at the local level they help citizenry get ready for when something major does occur," Grignani said.

"Within the Citizen Corps are different component. One of them being the Community Emergency Response Team concept," he said. "CERT helps prepare neighborhoods to deal with the disaster on their own until the emergency response is there to assist them."

The Citizen Corps trains neighborhood watch groups, clubs and other smaller groups to perform damage assessments, light searches and rescues, fire suppression and general first aid, Grignani said.

The city's agreement with STARRS allows the group to bring the residents a deeper understanding of what it takes to deal with disasters and the aftermath.

"I kind of refer to it as the Godfather agreement, where we're willing to do this for you, with the understanding that come someday that need is going to be there and you will respond to the citizens of Crestwood," he said.

Crestwood's CERT program teaches volunteers, after a 20-hour training course by the city's police and fire department, "to care for themselves and their neighbors if we have a major event or incident," Arnoldy said.

The specially made backpacks will hold, among other items, a mask, hard hat, work gloves, safety goggles, whistle and lanyard, orange CERT safety vest, flashlight, four-in-one spark-proof tool for shutting off utility lines and appliances, an adjustable wrench, duct tape, blanket, tarpaulin, utility knife, ear plugs, first aid kit and triage equipment.

Arnoldy said in times of catastrophic emergencies people have to be prepared to possibly fend for themselves for at least 96 hours without outside help.

"We're always looking for more people to get involved so they can be trained to take care of themselves and their families and neighborhood," Arnoldy said. "During an earthquake or weather-related things like tornadoes and ice storms, even electrical outages, during all those things you need to have supplies set aside and know how to take care of yourself and others until help arrives."

There are approximately 100 CERT-trained residents in Crestwood, Arnoldy said, and about 3,000 in the entire St. Louis metropolitan area.

There is a CERT training session already in progress in Crestwood but there is a waiting list for future classes.

Interested residents can contact Assistant Fire Chief Mark Menning at (314) 729-4741, or at www.metrowestcert.com.

Emergency helpers

Maryville to form amateur response team

By Mike Terry
Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:57 AM CDT

The Maryville Community Improvement Board is currently on the lookout for volunteers interested in joining a response team that would assist emergency services if a major disaster ever hit the village.

The new Community Emergency Response Team will be open to anyone over 14 and will hold its first training session on July 17.

"We did some research," said team organizer Dan Wright, who is also a member of the improvement board. "With the storms we have had and the recent earthquake, we thought it would be a good idea."

In a community like Maryville, which utilizes an all-volunteer fire department and operates with a limited number of police officers, Wright said that emergency officials can find themselves with their hands full very quickly.

Members of the CERT team will be trained in basic first aid, search and rescue, evaluating a disaster scene and how to survive without help for a period of at least 72 hours. By having CERT members taking care of the small matters, the professionals will have more ability to handle more serious situations.

"Nobody (on the CERT team) will be doing advanced medical procedures," he said. "But we can help by checking on people."

Once organized, Wright expects the team will operate through a phone tree with a centralized meeting point somewhere in Maryville. In the instance of something like a widespread power outage or a major storm, members would be dispatched to check area neighborhoods, senior living centers and other parts of the village to make sure everyone is all right.

Training will be handled by members of Collinsville's Emergency Response Team.

No experience will be necessary to join, although teenagers under 18 will need to obtain permission from their parents. Wright said they would be able to find a place for anyone, regardless of their age or physical capabilities, and nobody would be asked to do something they couldn't handle.

"We will only put people where they are comfortable," he said. "It's only as strenuous as you would make it."

Materials and training will be provided at no cost. Wright said they would like to have around 25 on the team and have already been spreading the word with fliers. Those interested should contact him or his wife Courtney at 205-3204.