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My CERT Certificate of Completion
Community Emergency Response Team
Community Emergency Response Team
It is a vision of joy that I feel, proud that today I have completed the 7 week course (17.5 hours) in Community Emergency Response Team training and received the CERT Certificate of Completion from The City of Los Angeles.
I feel more responsible toward community in a very practical crucial manner, in case of emergency preparedness, which includes natural disasters, accidents and terrorism.
Watching the weekly videos of destruction, and people maimed or dead from catastrophies, etc. was not easy. (I don't watch TV because of the violence.) Saving the worst for last, today's show was on Weapons of Mass Destruction, HAZMAT (Hazardous Material) Teams, chemical terrorism, and decontamination. I've learned to put out small fires, do light search and rescue, in multi-casualty incidents, do Triage--evaluate and label who is dead or alive, try to keep people alive in disaster medical operations, and splint body limbs, until professional 'responders' may be available. I learned team organization and disaster psychology. (As a former medical social worker, I never learned any of this.) As a former victim of the '94 Northridge Earthquake, I recognize how important this training is.)
I learned that in these major disasters that are happening all over the country, world, and local area, streets will not be accessible to trained personnel. Numbers of those in need will be too great to handle for city police, fire and and medical. Citizens must be well-trained for a work force. It is very sobering to know that I have graduated as a simple civilian volunteer and may have to lead a team of others in caring for the wounded, and saving lives. Graduation gift from GHNNC was a backpack filled with CERT helmet, vest and other necessary supplies. I've been buying and adding supplies.
My teacher, Firefighter Kevin Mason, was fantastic and the funniest person I've ever heard (which made learning tough stuff a lot easier). He called his humor, "gallows humor." Thank you, Kevin and GH Neighborhood Council, Public Safety coordinator Bill Hopkins. cert@ghnnc.org Thirty-five CERT volunteers graduated.
Please call your local council people to encourage them to offer CERT and join the team.
Additional sessions are offered.
Contact CERT: www.CERT-LA.COM LAFDCERT@LACITY.ORG
- Joy Krauthammer
PS
On a lighter note, while waiting for the photo that was taken on graduation day, here is me:
CERT event story:
Community Emergency Response Team with LA Fire Department. Yup, that's me the volunteer in the green vest and helmet. When I wear the thick mask and it is difficult to breathe, to survive I visualize I am snorkeling. Heavy are gloves, helmet, goggles, flashlight and backpack... Missing the heavy steel-toed boots.
Lorraine was my buddy, and I was in team with Battalion coordinator Linda, and Amy.
Several years ago my very dear older friend Lilian,z"l, (since about 1960 until she died last year) who was active until 90 years in civic duties, told me how important/necessary it was to be involved in "civic" duties. I listened. I do this service in her memory. Always also communicating with Councilman's office. NOT easy being a 'voice of consciousness' in political world. Yup, making a difference in my secular community. Deal with safety, drug cars on my street (and police), paved streets, neighbor brawls, dead trees, etc. etc. Never thought I'd have a pal in the police, surely not after the 60's. That's all a lot easier than this disaster CERT stuff.
I like drumming and photography and studying Torah much better!!! :)
Yup, making a difference in my secular community. Deal with safety, drug cars on my street (and police), paved streets, neighbor brawls, dead trees, etc. etc. Never thought I'd have a pal in the police, surely not after the 60's. That's all a lot easier than this disaster CERT stuff.
I proof, edit the police mail Tips before forwarding looking good to dozens on my Neighborhood Watch list. I like drumming and photography and studying Torah much better!!! :)
In addition, a specific reason I chose to be a CERT volunteer, is because I was in real great shock (PTSD) following the '94 LOCAL disaster and I needed to be better able to deal with a future one. So I've grabbed my fear and face it with hopefully being better able to help others.
Took this CPR class for CERT.
The dozens of times my husband, z"l, taught this course to medical personnel, I never showed up, and then threw out his CPR books. I actually first first took this training around 1975, about 4 decades ago.)
On a lighter note, while waiting for the photo that was taken on graduation day, here is me:
( :)
sideways
in my new
green firelady CERT helmet-hard hat
in my new
green firelady CERT helmet-hard hat
(doesn't come in purple)
smiling --before I have seen blood and gore, broken bones, accident, disaster, emergency, catastrophe and chemical warfare and fire and terrorism... (May it never happen!!)
(Do I sound like Arlo Guthrie's 27 minute song, Alice's Restaurant? "You can get everything you want, at ___")
Official CERT graduation portrait
Joy Krauthammer and firefighter Kevin Mason
© Edward Headington
CPR
CERT event story:
Still Training
From FACEBOOK 6.27.2015 :
CERT Refresher
Joy in Green Vest, Helmut, googles, mask and with gloves and Gatorade.
End of a long hard, smoky CERT day.
6.27.2015
| LAFD VALLEY CERT REFRESHER: Incident Command System Fire Suppression Medical Operations (triage, Treatment, Transport) Search and Rescue |
Since LAFD VALLEY CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) RETRAINING day, I have greater appreciation for our Fire Fighters. OY, how do they do it? Exhausting, and Search & Rescue was scary going into a smoky building (with helmet, mask, goggles and gloves) where I could NOT see the ‘victims'. Even the flashlight wasn’t strong enough to immediately see the victims 'dead or alive'. Fire extinguisher for Fire Suppression was heavy but finally I did a good job putting out fires. Hope YOU all know HOW to use those red house extinguishers.
(Forty years ago, called 911, and with adrenaline running, I used heavy huge hose equipment to put out a couch fire in an ap’t below mine.)
During Incident Command System actions, it was challenging in Medical Operations with Triage. Glad I didn’t have to treat people. As scribe, just kept track of 'non-critical' injuries in my division. The Medical Transport helicopter blew up a lot of dusty dirt in our LA drought and went right through my face gear into eyes. Now OK. I need to get better at all of this Disaster business with Fire Department.
In a large-scale disaster, government resources may be overwhelmed and unable to immediately assist citizens in their community. Emergency response personnel may be delayed for hours, even days. Preparing the community is vital in preparedness and resiliency.
Friends, I invite you to train and join volunteer CERT. Surely assists in preparing us in personal and civic duty for responsibility in disaster. I’ve had training but don’t know of any other neighbors who have. As lead person in my Neighborhood Watch, I send out invites… Sure would like a local partner.
For further information, you may contact the CERT Unit at (213) 893-9840.
http://www.cert-la.com
(Official green is clothing code, NO purple.)
June 27, 2015
ORIGINAL POST: http://visions-of-joy.blogspot.com/2011/11/cert.html
==
Community Emergency Response Team with LA Fire Department. Yup, that's me the volunteer in the green vest and helmet. When I wear the thick mask and it is difficult to breathe, to survive I visualize I am snorkeling. Heavy are gloves, helmet, goggles, flashlight and backpack... Missing the heavy steel-toed boots.
Lorraine was my buddy, and I was in team with Battalion coordinator Linda, and Amy.
Several years ago my very dear older friend Lilian,z"l, (since about 1960 until she died last year) who was active until 90 years in civic duties, told me how important/necessary it was to be involved in "civic" duties. I listened. I do this service in her memory. Always also communicating with Councilman's office. NOT easy being a 'voice of consciousness' in political world. Yup, making a difference in my secular community. Deal with safety, drug cars on my street (and police), paved streets, neighbor brawls, dead trees, etc. etc. Never thought I'd have a pal in the police, surely not after the 60's. That's all a lot easier than this disaster CERT stuff.
I like drumming and photography and studying Torah much better!!! :)
Yup, making a difference in my secular community. Deal with safety, drug cars on my street (and police), paved streets, neighbor brawls, dead trees, etc. etc. Never thought I'd have a pal in the police, surely not after the 60's. That's all a lot easier than this disaster CERT stuff.
I proof, edit the police mail Tips before forwarding looking good to dozens on my Neighborhood Watch list. I like drumming and photography and studying Torah much better!!! :)
In addition, a specific reason I chose to be a CERT volunteer, is because I was in real great shock (PTSD) following the '94 LOCAL disaster and I needed to be better able to deal with a future one. So I've grabbed my fear and face it with hopefully being better able to help others.
Took this CPR class for CERT.
The dozens of times my husband, z"l, taught this course to medical personnel, I never showed up, and then threw out his CPR books. I actually first first took this training around 1975, about 4 decades ago.)
| LAFD VALLEY CERT REFRESHER: Incident Command System Fire Suppression Medical Operations (Triage, Treatment, Transport) Search and Rescue |
Photo Gallery
Taking shots only after long hard day of work is done.
Medical Transport Helicopter takes off.
© Joy Krauthammer
Medical Transport Helicopter takes off.
© Joy Krauthammer
Medical Stretchers
© Joy Krauthammer
Wounds for Triage
© Joy Krauthammer
.
