County needs people for disaster response
By Cara Rank, Jackson, Hole, Wyo.
October 12, 2009
Teton County is seeking applicants to participate in the Community Emergency Response Team course.
The course is designed to give participants skills that can be useful and life-saving during an emergency. The national training program is being offered locally through Teton County Emergency Management in partnership with Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.
“CERT volunteers are a vital part of our disaster response team,” said Rich Ochs, interim coordinator with Teton County Emergency Management. “When a disaster strikes is the time we need people to help their families, neighbors and community. But we need people trained with emergency response skills before the disaster.”
Skills taught in the course include basic first-aid, light search and rescue, small fire suppression, rapid triage, disaster psychology and National Weather Service weather-spotter certification.
Participants will train for 24 hours during a three-week period. The class ends with a mock disaster drill for participants to practice their new skills.
Instructors for the course include personnel from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, Teton County Emergency Management, the National Weather Service and the FBI, among others.
Upon successful completion, participants will receive a kit made up of various pieces of emergency response equipment.
The course is free, but space is limited and registration is required. Classes will be from 5:45 to 9 p.m. Oct. 27 and 29 and Nov. 3, 5, 10 and 12 at the University of Wyoming Extension office, 255 W. Deloney Ave.
The final class will be all day Nov. 14 at the Adams Canyon fire station.
To register, contact Rich Ochs at 732-8594 or rochs@tetonwyo.org.
