CERT-fied for disaster

There are many situations no one wants to imagine.

A tornado has touched down in Birmingham and multiple injuries are confirmed. A train car carrying hazardous materials has overturned and the fire department has been delayed and will not be able to offer immediate assistance.

These are the types of real life events members of the Vestavia Hills Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) are equipped to handle. 

“I think people have the misconception that the fire department would be able to get to you if a tornado did come through, and in some cases it’s just not that way and doesn’t work out that way,” said Nicole Zabriskie, the coordinator of Vestavia Hills CERT.

CERT is a national program designed to educate volunteers about disaster preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, disaster medical operations and other skills, according to ready.gov, and there are multiple programs throughout the Jefferson County area and state. Vestavia Hills’ program offers basic CERT training through an eight-week program, as well as monthly meetings. 

The purpose, Zabriskie said, is to be prepared — for yourself, your family and your community — in the face of an emergency.

“I think it’s definitely something that everyone needs. I feel like it’s stuff that is common sense, but you don’t realize it until you’re in an emergency,” she said.

John Furman first joined Vestavia CERT around 10 years ago, at one of its first trainings. His wife told him about the course, and as someone who does some disaster planning in his work, Furman said his interest was piqued.

For Furman, CERT is not just about large scale natural disasters — but rather something he is able to use every day.

“For me, it’s all about trying to be as prepared as you can all the time,” he said. “My truck is a rolling survival kit, almost. I have my CERT backpack and other stuff if I break down on the road or find someone else who is broken down.”

Even if people think they know the proper way to respond in an emergency, Furman said odds are they can improve their response. Training from CERT can help in everything from putting out a small kitchen fire correctly with a fire extinguisher to learning to properly bandage wounds and stop bleeding.

CERT helps individuals “become their own first responder,” said Chris Collier, who got involved about a year ago. 

“You could find yourself in a situation where first responders … are not going to be able to get to you and your family in a timely manner, just due to the volume of incidents because of an event,” Collier said. “Being prepared to examine your own situation, whether that’s your family or your neighborhood, makes you more valuable to your community and your immediate sphere of influence.”

The initial training course covers the basic idea of CERT, fire safety, emergency medical care, disaster psychology, search and rescue, things to look for in a terrorist situation and how CERT works with the local fire department. From there, they will cover certain topics in more depth at their monthly meetings.

And while they stay up to date on training, Zabriskie said they are also able to serve the community in other ways. Their team is also trained to take care of the fire department.

“It’s a program to learn emergency preparedness, but it’s also an extended arm of the fire department to make sure that our first responders can carry out what they need to do,” she said, adding that CERT members will bring water bottles and food to firefighters on the scene of a fire, in addition to helping with their air bottles and with rolling up hoses.

“I think it helps show our commitment to the true first responders that are putting their lives on the line every day,” said Collier. “We ‘play’ at this, so to speak, as it’s convenient for us because it’s not our day job. We want to help out the community, and I think we’re doing that … but these individuals are out there responding to critical events every single day.”

For Furman, it’s a way to free up members of the fire department to complete their jobs.

“I like it a lot. I‘ve been to a couple of fires, and the firemen are always so, so very appreciative that we came,” he said. “Even if we just bring them bottles of water, pizza, something. Because they’ve got to be there for a very long time, and we cannot do their work, but if we can free up one or two of them, [it helps].”

Vestavia CERT is also expanding its ability to help the community. The team is set to get its own van, Zabriskie said, which will include tents, a generator, water and other supplies. 

That resource, she said, offers “just the benefits of everything being right there.” It will also be an official vehicle, rather than her personal van.

The van should be up and running by summer. 

For more information about CERT, call 978-0225.