Incident Newport

Incident:     Newport Community Emergency Response Team          Graduates after final drill Saturday          

Location:  Old City Hall     

Date/Time: 01-21-06 9:00 AM     
     

Details:     

Newport’s first class of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) conducted its final drill and examination today. Twenty community volunteers who attended a drill at the old city hall were faced with several disaster scenarios, such as locating victims, providing first aid, recognizing hazardous materials, and triaging patients.  The Newport Fire and Rescue, Newport Volunteer Fire Department, the local chapter of the Red Cross, Lincoln County Emergency Service Department, Pacific West Ambulance, Oregon National Guard, Toledo Fire Department, and the Newport Police Department participated in the training.

The Community Emergency Response Teams were first established in Los Angeles in 1987 as a result of several earthquakes. CERT teams are organized to train individuals to be their own first responders in the event of a major emergency. People will have to rely on each other for help in a major emergency as fire, police, and EMT’s will be busy attending the most serious situations.


The CERT program goals are to promote emergency preparedness; develop skills to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a disaster, and develop neighborhood self-sufficiency before, during and after a natural or man-made disaster. Topics taught and completed by the participants included Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and Rescue, Terrorism, Disaster Psychology, CERT Organization, and the Final Drill.

CERT graduates now have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to, not only help their family be better prepared for emergencies, but to assist their neighborhood in becoming better prepared to take action when Newport is threatened by a major emergency or disaster.

CERT members will maintain and refine their skills by participating in exercises and activities. They can attend supplemental training opportunities offered by the Newport Fire and Rescue, Lincoln County Emergency Services Department, and the Newport Police Department. Citizens interested in future CERT training courses may obtain further information by calling Sgt. Dean Sawyer of the Newport Police Department at 574-0633, by visiting the Newport CERT website at http://certlvh.blogspot.com , or the Newport Fire Department website at www.newportfire.net , or the Newport City website at www.thecityofnewport.net  .







# # #

Information Released By:  Sgt. Dean Sawyer, 574-0633