Japan's disaster prompts CERT training in Flagstaff

Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) to be offered in Flagstaff

Flagstaff, AZ – March 11, 2011 was a devastating day for Japan, after a magnitude-8.9 earthquake rattled that nation’s eastern coast before unleashing a deadly tsunami that swept away thousands of victims, cars, homes and businesses as it touched land.  

The Tokyo Associated Press reported that the Japanese Government acknowledged that it was overwhelmed by the scale of the twin natural disasters, slowing the response to the nuclear crisis that was triggered by the earthquake and tsunami that left at least 10,000 people dead. 

Coconino County Sheriff Bill Pribil said, “This terrible disaster painfully demonstrates the need for trained community members to come together to help themselves and their neighbors during natural disasters and other emergencies when government and public safety entities are overwhelmed and their response is significantly delayed”. 

Sheriff Bill Pribil and other trained CERT instructors will conduct a Basic Community Emergency Response Team Training beginning Friday, March 25th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday March 26th from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. and Sunday March 27th from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

The CERT Training will take place in Flagstaff at the Law Enforcement Administration Facility at 911 East Sawmill Road .  There is no cost for the training and to register please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Community Programs Office at 928-226-5089. 

If we can predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs following a major disaster, especially if there is no warning as in a wild land fire, and people will spontaneously volunteer, what can the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office do to prepare citizens for this eventuality?

First, citizens should be aware of the facts about what to expect following a major disaster in terms of immediate services.

Second, they are given the message about their responsibility for mitigation and preparedness.

Third, they are trained in the areas of needed life saving skills with emphasis on decision making skills, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. Fourth, they are organized into teams so that they are an extension of first responder services offering immediate help to victims until professional services arrive. 

Topics that are covered include Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and Rescue Operations, Disaster Psychology, Incident Command System and a Team Exercise.