CERT refresher/field day

This past Saturday, Santa Paula CERT conducted field exercises and skills review at a local ranch just east of Santa Paula. Team members from Santa Paula and Fillmore met together to practice the emergency skills that were taught in the classroom in a simulated disaster that provided an opportunity to: Use fire extinguishers to put out live fire, Practice cribbing and lifting, Search and Rescue, Triage, Emergency Medical Treatment, Provide the required leadership of the entire operation by setting up and operating the Incident Command System. In January 2006, the City of Santa Paula began an active program to train residents to be better prepared for emergencies. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a national program that teaches information and skills from a standard curriculum. Most communities in Ventura County have CERT programs. Santa Paula began in early January providing the CERT program to interested residents. Eight classes have been completed and more than 150 residents of all ages have been trained.The classes provide 17 to 20 hours of classroom and hands-on training. The class meets once a week for seven weeks and provides training in Emergency Preparedness, Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical and Triage, Light Search and Rescue, CERT Organization (ICS), Terrorism Awareness and Disaster Psychology.For more information and additional details contact Captain Steven Lazenby, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, City of Santa Paula, 805-933-4297.