Tag: Disaster Relief

Disaster Training Available

by Dan Nelson

An information session will be held regarding the CERT program on Friday March 8, 12:00pm at the Seldovia Conference Center.  An overview of the program will be provided followed by an open discussion and Q&A time.  The organizers will be looking for feedback from the community regarding scheduling and will have literature about the program and general preparedness available.  A light lunch will be provided to attendees.

The Community Emergency Response Team or CERT is a training program for community members that will teach basic skills that can be useful in the event of emergencies or disasters.  At the conclusion of this 25 hour training, a mock disaster is held in order for the community to practice their skills.  Training provides skills in basic fire suppression, disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations, incident command, and many other skills.

Living in Alaska is not quite like the lower 48 – it takes longer to get somewhere and sometimes we don’t even have a road to get there!  Getting groceries is not as easy as getting in the SUV and running down to the supermarket, and sometimes mother nature decides to bring winter storms, flooding and earthquakes our way.  Residents in Seldovia know that even more than city dwellers in Alaskan cities – planning ahead is essential to make sure there are supplies, fuel, and other everyday necessities.

In addition to preparing for everyday needs, it is essential to prepare for the unexpected and times of disaster.  As we saw last week with the Gerry Willard generation plant, sometimes even the backup goes down.  The Community Emergency Response Team or CERT program exists to train community members how to respond to Continue Reading