From left to right: Jim Easter and Quail Creek resident Jamee Kahn check the vital signs of firefighters undergoing extensive training in Rio Rico; Photo by John McGee.
Peggy McGee
Quail Creek residents Kathe Alves, Bob Granger, John McGee and Ray Trombino will be among the instructors for the upcoming Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training course. This free course will prepare the graduates to help their families and neighbors in time of a natural or man-made disaster. A train derailment could potentially cause an emergency situation for Quail Creek so residents will be appreciative that some of their neighbors have been trained to assist them.
Classes will be held from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on March 6, 7, 13 and 14. The final class that includes a practical exercise will take place on Saturday, March 16 from 9:00 a.m.-noon. A celebratory pizza party will take place after the exercise. All sessions will meet at the Green Valley Fire District HQ, 1285 W Camino Encanto.
Some of the topics to be covered include disaster preparedness, terrorism, disaster medical operations, community planning and psychological reaction to disasters.
To register for this free course, please use the Contact Us form on the CERT website, www.ggvcert.com. Deadline for registration is March 4. Questions: please contact Bob Granger at [email protected]. You can also follow Green Valley CERT on Facebook.
Everyone who completes the course and joins CERT will receive a certificate from the Green Valley Fire District as well as a CERT t-shirt.
Throughout the year, CERT members receive monthly training in radio operations, search and rescue, basic medical care. Last year CERT members assisted in a firefighter training exercise by checking vital signs to ensure the firefighters were fit to enter a mock smoke-filled room with zero visibility to rescue victims.