Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The fire department recently took to social media to remind citizens of the opportunities available through its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes.
“What would I do if something like the Boston marathon bombings occurred in my community?” That’s the question on many people’s minds following last weeks’ terrorist attack that killed three and injured more than 100, leaving some severely maimed. It’s also a question that the Metro West Fire Protection District wants citizens to know they can answer. The district regularly holds Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training classes throughout the year that are open to all residents. In a recent Facebook posting, Metro West officials urged citizens to take advantage of the classes in light of recent events. "We have prepared over a thousand resident to react with lifesaving skills when a disaster strikes,” the post read. “We prepare …
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Eureka Emergency Management (CERT) is a cooperative effort of Eureka, Eureka Police Department and the Eureka Fire Protection District.
Add 18 more community leaders to the list of those who are residential emergency responders. The new batch of Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) assistants graduated on Oct. 29. Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the full demand for these services. Factors, such as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages, will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. The concept behind CERT is that people will have to rely on each other for help to meet their immediate lifesaving and life-sustaining needs. Eureka Police Department Chief Michael Wiegand said CERT class participants …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Here's a perfect chance to get prepared for all types of disasters and emergencies. To date, 100-plus people in and around Eureka have completed this 22-hour, eight-week training program. Interested?
A Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is comprised of volunteers who finish a course of study outlined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). These volunteers then help public safety organizations within the community, if a disaster strikes. Eureka and Wildwood residents are fortunate to have an active CERT initiative locally. A free training series that teaches the basic CERT skills will be presented by Eureka Emergency Management Association, Eureka Fire Protection District, and Eureka Police Department representatives on the following dates at the Eureka Fire District Training Center, located at 18765 Old Highway 66: All sessions will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., except for …
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
While publishing a new article about tornado predictions for this year, it prompted a look at how the Eureka-Wildwood community responded to helping Joplin, MO, residents recover last year from a devastating tornado on May 22. Look at this long list.
Meterologists from AccuWeather.com are predicting some horrific tornadoes may occur again this year after last year was close to setting new weather records. However, at this time, they believe the Southern part of the United States may be the hardest hit. See accompanying article: Why 2011 Was Such Deadly Tornado Year Stories continue to trickle in about how Eureka and Wildwood residents are connecting with Joplin, MO, residents, who are still getting back on their feet after a May 22 tornado destroyed so much of the town and killed many residents. Eureka-Wildwood Patch would like to know of other groups or individuals who have contributed to Joplin relief causes during the last nine months. Do you know of other religious or school-based …
Friday, November 11, 2011
On Saturday, teams from Eureka, Maplewood and Crestwood will practice their skills.
Volunteers from the Eureka Fire Protection District’s Search and Rescue (SAR) Team will be participating in an urban search-and-rescue exercise on Saturday in Maplewood. Volunteer members of Maplewood and Crestwood's Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) will also take part. The citizen volunteers will respond to a simulated disaster, searching a large area of single-family homes in Maplewood for survivors of the mock-incident. Eureka's Incident Response trailer and their K-9 teams will also be involved in searching a medium-sized apartment complex. "This exercise will provide trained citizen volunteers the opportunity to practice their disaster response and recovery skills that in turn just may save the lives of others in our region…
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Eureka residents are fortunate to have the Community Emergency Response Teams program in effect. Another successful CERT class graduates.
In the fall of 2000, Eureka Police Chief Michael Wiegand picked up the phone to Federal Emergency Management Agency officials with an idea, and some great enthusiasm. That following spring, the first, local CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) class was under way. Another class of community volunteers recently graduated, adding to the arsenal of trained individuals Eureka now has scattered throughout the community. The main goal of the program is to ensure that in an event of a major emergency, participants are taught how to first secure their house and its occupants; from there, a CERT-certified individual can go through their surrounding neighborhoods and offer assistance that would be needed before the fire and police emergency …
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Nine Eureka High School students received their Teen CERT graduation certificates Tuesday night at the Eureka board of aldermen meeting from the Eureka Police Department and Eureka Fire Protection District.
Should an emergency ever hit Eureka High School, nine students now are prepared to assist with fires, disasters, rescues and even terrorism. The following nine students graduated Saturday from the Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, and received their certificates Tuesday evening from city officials at the Eureka board of aldermen meeting: The program is conducted jointly by the Eureka Fire Protection District and the Eureka Police Department. It is designed to teach individuals what to do in situations when professional responders are not immediately available to help. "Students completed 24 hours of training," said Eureka Police Chief Michael Wiegand. "They do some training after school, some on half days of school, …
Julie Brown Patton
12:26 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
September is National Preparedness Month. more ›