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Good Samaritans are good, but in an emergency, something more is needed.
"The world is full of Good Samaritans, but I want good, trained, equipped, exercised, organized Samaritans. They are worth their weight in gold," said Jon Rosenlund, Grand Island/Hall County emergency management director.
That's why he is reactivating the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, for short.
CERT members are trained in what Rosenlund calls the "small and simple things" that become critical in emergency response checking on neighbors after a storm, basic first aid after an accident and assessing damages after an incident.
"You want to train people to respond to an accident in their own area home, school, workplace," Rosenlund said, "because it takes a while to get responders to your area. Roads may be closed. There are only so many ambulances available. It always takes longer than you want."
Victims and witnesses are obviously already in accident areas, so if they are properly trained, they statistically can become the Good Samaritans that do the most initial good in emergency response.
But people have to know what to do and how to do it and need to understand their limits, Rosenlund said.
That's where CERT training comes in.
He and Cairo emergency management director and Cairo Quick Response Team member Terry Gallagher will teach a seminar over three Saturdays in April and May to reactivate the team.
They'll cover the basics in medical operations, light search and rescue and disaster preparedness.
Once the course is complete, participants will be asked whether they want to join the CERT.
Membership is selective, Rosenlund said, because proficiency must be demonstrated and background checks completed on members.
All CERT members will receive an equipment bag including items such as a helmet, vest, goggles, gloves and a first-aid flashlight.
They'll be maintained in a database for contact when and if the need arises.
Rosenlund saw the value of CERT firsthand in his former job as emergency management director in Sterling, Colo. He had about 100 people trained there for the Logan County CERT when a tornado hit, causing about $5 million damage in Sterling's downtown.
About 50 CERT members were immediately on the ground, going door to door assessing damages, looking for victims and directing full-time emergency responders to the most needy.
"You never have enough good, trained helping hands," in an emergency, Rosenlund said.
The initial CERT training is open to about 20 people. Rosenlund hopes to offer more such trainings later in the year.
Participants should be at least 14 years old. Civic organizations, families and "average Joe Citizens" are encouraged to participate.
Rosenlund said he will also offer special CERT training to any Hall County business that has about 20 employees wanting to participate. Numerous Grand Island public school teachers went through training a few years ago under a previous emergency management administration, Rosenlund said.
All the training simply raises the potential for the entire community to benefit from a safety standpoint, he said.
"Self-sufficiency is key to emergency preparedness," Rosenlund said.
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