NEWPORT POLICE MEDIA

NEWPORT POLICE MEDIA RELEASE     5/27/2006 1:56 PM

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

Location:  Old City Hall     

Date/Time: 5-27-06 9:00 AM     
     

Details:     

Newport’s second class of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) conducted its final drill and examination today. Fifteen 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, Pacific West Ambulance, Oregon National Guard, 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.

Citizens interested in future CERT training courses may obtain further information by calling Sgt. Dean Sawyer of the Newport Police Department at 574-0633, or by visiting the Newport CERT website at http://certlvh.blogspot.com , or the Newport Fire Department website at www.newportfire.net .







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