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.
Showing posts with label Wentzville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wentzville. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Wentzville teen class graduates from CERT
Youth learn disaster response skills
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.
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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.
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