The 2024 basic CERT course is offered on Vashon in two parts:
Parts One and Two - Intro to Disaster Response Skills for Citizens
Five Saturdays, January 13 through February 10 from 9:00 to 3:00 each day
Jan 13 at Vashon Methodist Church, 17928 Vashon Hwy SW
Jan 20 and all other classes at Farcy building, main campus of Vashon Fire, 10019 SW Bank Rd.
TOPICS:
Part One, January 13: Household preparedness for disasters when many local services, communications and transportation would be compromised; prevention of home fires and electrical safety issues
Part Two on four successive Saturdays:
Light fire fighting including how to extinguish different types of fires
Propane and natural gas safety
Introduction to generators
Light rescue techniques: cribbing; searching inside a building
First aid and patient care for wounds large and small, broken bones, shock, etc.
Carrying an injured person, both with a sturdy litter designed for this and with makeshift gear that might be all you have in a disaster
Part Three: Team organization and response on Vashon Island
Saturdays, February 17 through March 9 from 9:00 to 3:00 each day at main Vashon fire station (March 2 will run until about 4:00)
PRE-REQUISITE: Part One (above) or previous CERT training on Vashon or elsewhere
TOPICS:
Organizing a CERT team for neighborhood or island disaster response; we'll run a simulated earthquake response (a short drill)
How Vashon CERT works, its roles and functions; the types of incidents for which we can serve
How you can be part of Vashon CERT or support the island's disaster response planning efforts in other ways
Sign-up required; please email CERT@VashonBePrepared.org and expect a confirmation (if you don't get one, email or call again)
Cost: free (courtesy of the volunteer team that is Vashon CERT and with much support from Vashon Island Fire & Rescue)
Participants provide: small amount of personal equipment: medium to light-duty work gloves, mask, work clothes and gear for whatever weather we have on the outdoor days, safety glasses, your own lunch each day, knee pads for first aid practice if you want some knee protection
Participant guidelines: no symptoms of Covid or other infections diseases, face mask required (N95 preferred), sober, alert, follow instructions, quiet your cell phone, tie back long hair for skill sessions , wear clothing that can't easily get caught in supplies/equipment we'll be using, and able to attend most sessions of the course (make-up sessions are tough for us to arrange)
Physical requirements: nothing in particular is required except a mask, but be awarre that most skills involve walking and carrying gear, some involve kneeling, one skill involves crawling. You do NOT have to be able to do everything. Some time each week is spent in the classroom, sitting in chairs (but we work hard not to bore you with lectures!)
Who are the instructors? The Fire Chief, assistant chiefs and officers with Vashon Fire & Rescue, plus the seasoned volunteers who lead and manage the Vashon CERT team and participate with other leaders within VashonBePrepared
Lunch breaks and daily schedule: Class may end before 3:00 on some days. A one-hour lunch will be on your own, an the exact timing will vary a bit from week to week.
Each part limited to 24 adults. We are unable to train youth under 18 years at this time except on January 13 if accompanied by an adult