
The basic CERT course is offered on Vashon in 3 parts. Each part is a pre-requisite for the next.
Part 1: Household Preparedness & Safety; How Vashon Will Tick in a Disaster
2021 dates TBD - likely in September, 9 am. to 2 p.m.
Location TBD
Sign-up required; please email cert@vashonbeprepared.org
Leaders of Vashon's non-profit citizen response teams, Vashon Fire Dept and Puget Sound Energy offer a packed 5-hour seminar on how to prepare to be self-sufficient, well fed, safe and reasonably comfortable in a disaster that could isolate our island for days or weeks. Natural gas, electrical and fire experts will cover general safety about those issues plus disaster response options.
Part 2: 24 more hours of Fire/Chemical/Utility Safety, Search & Rescue, Advanced First Aid and Medical Triage
2021 dates TBD - likely September & October, half-day per week
Vashon Fire station on Bank Rd.
Enrollment limited to 32 people; sign-up required by emailing cert@vashonbeprepared.org
Fire Dept officers will cover most of this curriculum, giving you skills in light fire fighting, safely removing someone buried in debris or crushed by a car or similar, treating life-threatening injuries, splinting and more advanced first aid skills. Participants must wear long pants and "work clothes" for these trainings. If you have physical limitations, special needs, or just plain sore knees, just let the instructor know and we'll gladly accommodate you. Anyone can take this course.
Pre-requisite: The part 1 preparedness seminar
Part 3: How CERT-trained citizens can work as a team...
...to accomplish life-saving things in disaster situations, and what our team would likely do on Vashon in earthquake and severe weather situations as well as searching for a missing person and supporting Covid testing and vaccinations. This includes how we organize ourselves, administration and logistics to support our activities, and team accountability and communications.
2021 dates TBD - likely October & November, half-day per week plus one 8-hr "Disaster Day" drill.
Part 3 is for people who want to consider joining the active Vashon CERT team. Additional training is offered beyond this course, and the minimum requirement to stay active is to attend 4 trainings per year after completing a few more one-time classes.
Pre-requisite: Parts 1 and 2 above.