June 2013 CERT GUSD Earthquake Training
The front page of the July 04, 2013 issue of the Crescenta Valley Weekly highlights a photo by our very own Lisa Dutton with the caption “GUSD members surround “victims” during an earthquake scenario as part of their CERT training”! How awesome is that?! Almost as awesome as the reason she was there to take this photo.
Earthquake Preparedness
“In preparation for a potential major disaster, 41 Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) principals and administrators received a three-day course in Community Emergency Response Training (CERT). The CERT program is intended to aid the public in the midst of a disaster, when emergency services may not be readily available. While first responders might be unable to aid due to a variety of factors such as road blockages or a lack of communication stemming from technological failures, CERT training emphasizes the development of self-reliant skills.”
Earthquake Training
“With help from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station, CV CERT coordinators Paul and Lisa Dutton guided the GUSD staff through different scenarios, teaching them what they could expect and what they should do if the schools were stranded from the safety net of emergency services during a major crisis…the Duttons have coordinated CERT training sessions in La Crescenta for years, Paul called this session with GUSD the “most important and biggest” of all.”
“The Duttons provided a crash course on CERT basics: search and rescue operations, medical operations and triage, disaster psychology and even what to do in the event of a terrorist attack. The principals will have to take what they learned and adapt those lessons to their respective schools.”
“The training sessions culminated in a simulated post-earthquake disaster area. The principals and administrators employed their newly learned skills as they “rescued” students suffering from gruesome, artificial injuries, some in faux-unconscious states. The school district representatives were tested with various disaster response situations and graduated from their CERT training, with 24 hours of training under their belts.”
Are you prepared for an earthquake?
If not and you are interested in CERT training, please call our office to speak with Paul or Lisa Dutton. You can also see all 20 of the photos from this training on our facebook page.
In the meantime, please review our prior post that provides a disaster preparedness kit.
