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.