The La Pryor Community Emergency Response Team has devoted plenty of their weekend time to focus on CERT curriculum. This curriculum educates individuals on disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization & disaster medical operations. Teen CERT participants received a 20-
hour Basic CERT Training that included certification, a CERT backpack filled with emergency equipment & their official CERT t-shirt. The team has now participated in 2 mock crisis drills in which they had to showcase their fire suppression skills, search & rescue protocol, cribbing strategies, triage knowledge, head-to-toe assessments skills and their splinting techniques. The participants have engaged in community action planning as a team and have acquired the leadership skills needed to address emergency preparedness in their homes, schools & community. Using this training, CERT members can assist the administrators in their school or community leaders following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Training footage shot by KGNS Laredo News can be found at http://www.kgns.tv/news/headlines/Teens-Trained-to-Help-in-Emergency-Response-283603801.html.
