Ready, willing, and able to help

From left: Connie Rogers, Linda Gulbransen, Lee Ann Slupianek, and Fran Matz

By Amanda Haines

Whether it's filling sandbags, triaging the injured, or helping in the aftermath of an earthquake, four Pierce College employees are now trained and ready to help when disaster strikes. The four women recently completed Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training in Lakewood and they are urging others in the community to follow suit. CERT is a national program that trains private citizens to offer assistance in times of hardship and disaster. The training is fun and intense, and includes basic skills everyone should know, said Linda Gulbransen, the organizer of the Pierce College group.

“I heard about CERT in one of (Center of Excellence in Homeland Security Director) Mike Campbell’s classes and he got me connected with the Lakewood Fire Department, which does the CERT training locally,” she said. She recruited Connie Rogers, budget manager, Lee Ann Slupianek, nursing program assistant, and Fran Matz, opportunity grant manager, for the training, which includes six 3-hour evening sessions and one 6-hour mock disaster drill.

Rogers said the training was surprisingly fun and she especially enjoyed the mock disaster drill.

“The mock disaster was great! There was blood and guts and glass in people’s heads!” Rogers said with an excited laugh. “It really changes the way you think and how you look at things. We were triaging people and sorting patients. It was great.”

For completing the training, they received a CERT backpack loaded with materials they’ll need in a disaster. The kit includes a flashlight, pry bar, colored mats for triage, a space blanker, reflective vets, and limited medial supplies.

“The longer we do this, the more we’ll pack in our backpack,” noted Matz. “This just gets us started.”

At their CERT graduation, Lakewood’s deputy mayor made an appearance. Lakewood’s CERT teams have been called to help with a number of disasters. For example, local CERT teams have worked to fill and place sandbags to combat flooding from major fires, direct traffic during the funeral for the four Lakewood police officers killed last fall, and inform the public at community preparedness fairs.

The next CERT training session starts Sept. 2. The training is done through the Lakewood Fire Department two nights per week for three weeks, followed by the mock disaster drill. It’s open to anyone in the community.

Amanda Haines
Communications Specialist
Pierce College District
Possibilities. Realized.

phone: 253.864.3239
email: ahaines@pierce.ctc.edu
web: www.pierce.ctc.edu
04.19.10 pierce cert team.JPG 04.19.10 pierce cert team.JPG
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