On Sept. 18th to 21st, 2018, VITEMA hosted a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training on St. Croix. The training, inclusive of classroom instruction and hands-on exercises, provided a total of twenty-nine (29) participants with basic disaster response training that will be used in their communities in the event of a disaster.
According to Ready.gov, “the CERT program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is built and enhanced.”
Photo Gallery
The Medical Section prepared to evaluate victims during the final CERT exercise. Below, the medical team provided care to a burn victim.
CERT students demonstrating how to properly secure and transport a victim.
Participant in the CERT exercise with an open leg wound traveling to her staged location.
Instructor Joel Connors looks on as CERT students demonstrate how to secure an arm injury.
Students teams demonstrating how to extinguish a small fire.
Instructor Joel Connors engaged in discussions with the CERT class.
