WAIMEA — One Saturday last September, fire alarms rang loudly at a Hawaii Preparatory Academy dorm building. What looked like smoke escaping from a lounge area, was actually a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) simulation that went wrong.
WAIMEA — One Saturday last September, fire alarms rang loudly at a Hawaii Preparatory Academy dorm building. What looked like smoke escaping from a lounge area, was actually a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) simulation that went wrong.
“It was a training simulation of an earthquake and a rock coming down and hitting the dorm that we did with the boarding students,” Tina Stuart said, a Waimea resident and Waimea CERT team member since 2014. “Fire was simulated with the smoke, but unfortunately one of the students opened the door from the lounge to the rooms and the smoke went into the hall and turned on the fire alarm. Everyone had to leave the dorm and we had to call the fire department, creating our own disaster.”
Few people know exactly what do when a disaster strikes, but around 15 residents have been trained and serve on Waimea’s CERT team. Through a 27-hour basic training session they learned how to respond to earthquakes, floods, tsunamis and wildland/ urban interface fires in their community. The next training is scheduled in July in Waimea.
The Waimea CERT team is one of 21 in the county that meets monthly. Others are in Hamakua, Laupahoehoe, Paauilo, North Kohala, Puako and Waikoloa Village. Free training is offered quarterly in Kona, Hilo, Puna or Waimea to any residents interested in joining the teams.
When a potential disaster approaches, the Civil Defense puts out an email to all CERT team leaders. They then call down the line to their team members who then meet to gather supplies and respond to the emergency.
“We have medical supplies, bandages, slings, boards to carry people on and lights,” Stuart said. “We each have our own getaway bags with some water, batteries and general medical equipment in case we need to do first aid.”
All of the supplies are currently kept at Stuart’s house.
“We’re waiting for the county to give us a container to be placed in a central location,” she said.
The training’s overall purpose is to give residents fundamental skills to make the right decisions when responding to disasters.
“We encourage our members to become ham operators so we can communicate with each other and the county in case of an emergency,” Stuart said. “We each have one. They can be privately or county owned. If something happens we all get on our hams to communicate.”
A training manual is followed when the teams are alerted.
“If it’s a search and rescue emergency, there’s a definite procedure and way we set up,” she said. “There are all kinds of forms and a person who is the incident command who runs everything.”
The county communicates directly with residents in case of emergency, usually over the radio. If door by door alerts are also needed, the CERT team members handle it.
CERT will offer their next four-week training session July 8-29. The comprehensive program includes modules on emergency preparedness, fire, emergency medical, light search and rescue, incident command organization, disaster psychology, emergency communications, CERT and terrorism, and classroom and hands–on experience.
“We are offering the CERT Basic Training Course through the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency,” said Patti Pinto, Hawaii County CERT coordinator. “It’s free of charge.”
The all-day classes will be from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on four consecutive Saturdays, with the July 8, 22 and 29 at the Waimea Elementary School Cafeteria, and a different location for the July 15 class.
“Those needing to renew their membership can sign up to attend the fourth day of training,” she added.
The class is open to residents over the age of 17. To reserve a space in the July CERT training in Waimea, contact Patti Pinto at hawaiicert@gmail.com.