A has signed on for a pilot program of CERT, or Community Emergency Response Team, for middle schoolers. Usually the training is just for adults and older teens. For the next 8 months she'll spend an hour a week after school learning everything from using a fire extinguisher and turning off natural gas lines after an earthquake, to administering first aid and helping with search and rescue. At the end of the training there will be a drill, where she will be tested on everything she's learned.
This past weekend A got to participate in a drill as a volunteer "survivor," acting as a wounded person needing attention after an earthquake. Adults who had just completed months of CERT training were brought through in small groups and were to attend to the "wounded." Each child volunteer had a specific role to play. A was classified as "walking wounded" and was to act alternately dazed and hysterical. She was supposed to wander off, interrupt the responders as they tended the more gravely injured, and basically make a nuisance of herself. A trainer stood by with a clipboard observing, and scoring the team of responders. The trainer wanted to see one of the responders interact reassuringly toward A, bring her back to the staging area when she wandered off, and put her to work helping others.
The teens and pre-teens really enjoy being "made up" for these drills.
The kids compare wounds before the drill begins.
Being a "walking wounded" meant that A had only "bruising" make up applied, which she was perfectly happy about.
The kids were sorted by injury and assigned to lie on color-coded tarps, which is what would be utilized in a real emergency by a CERT team.
Above the kids have been sorted and the next team of responders is just coming in.
A cracks a smile during a break in the drill.
Above, there's that moment the trainer was looking for: a responder has just retrieved A from the doorway and is talking to her while giving her a gentle pat on the back.
A spent the entire day in one area, playing her one role, over and over again, as different teams rotated through. In other areas of the complex responders were practicing search and rescue, putting out fires, and more. I wasn't able to stay and watch the whole thing, but I'm sure A can't wait to learn all these things and go through her own drill. Until then she's certainly eager to sign on again as a volunteer "survivor" for the drills.
CERT is a great program. I'm so glad that she was able to participate.
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1060463581 | Monday, November 07, 2011 at 09:06 PM