New push for local disaster preparedness

Agoura Hills
revives team




Agoura Hills

revives team

By Stephanie Bertholdo

bertholdo@theacorn.com

The city of Agoura Hills resurrected its emergency operations center last week, and conducted a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) meeting to train volunteers to help firefighters, police officers and medical professionals during a disaster.


Members of the team will be trained in disaster preparedness, fire suppression, medical intervention, light search and rescue, and disaster psychology and preparation.


Terrorism will also be covered during the seven-week class, and members will learn how to identify different types of terrorist weapons and analyze risks and threats. Classes begin in March.


The Agoura Hills City Council allocated $10,000 as part of this year’s budget to reinstate CERT, which was active in the ’90s. Agoura Hills city council members John Edelston and Jeff Reinhardt advocated the program’s return.


Last week’s meeting took place in the city’s community room.


The room was transformed into an emergency operations center, complete with a radio closet, supply and comfort stations, Internet and mapping capabilities, and a myriad of school, highway, and evacuation area charts and other information. The city was also linked with county facilities and their emergency services.


According to Chris Dodd, the city’s facilities and operations supervisor who was recently named emergency operations center manager, the community room would be mobilized within two hours after an emergency.


Reinhardt, a former Disaster Response Team member, gave a brief history of the city’s involvement in CERT. He said that Fran Pavley, Agoura Hills’ first mayor now serving a second term as assembly member of the 41st district, helped organize the first volunteers.


"In the event of a really large earthquake—the big one—help is going to go where help is needed most," Reinhardt said.


Most emergency services, he added, would focus on Los Angeles, and smaller cities would likely have to fend for themselves for three or four days. That’s why volunteer "responders" could make a crucial difference.


The original Disaster Response Team, said Reinhardt, attracted volunteers from the entire region, as far as the city of Ventura and Canyon Country. Urban search and rescue was in its infancy, and Agoura Hills was in the forefront of training.


Reinhardt said the city rehabilitated a "communications van," which is still used today as a support unit at city events.


At its high point, the Agoura Hills CERT had trained more than 600 people, but over the years the numbers dropped and the program was abandoned.


But no longer. Last week, Los Angeles County Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Reggie Lee discussed the problems of "spontaneous volunteers." He cited rescue efforts after the earthquake in Mexico where more than 1,000 rescuers were trapped in the wreckage.


"We never, ever want to bring additional victims in the form of rescuers," said Reinhardt. "We don’t want to have dead heroes." To avoid such a scenario, he explained that responders must have a certain "skill set."


Most importantly, responders must be the "eyes and ears of their neighborhood." Reinhardt said that during an emergency, trained volunteers should conduct a disaster emergency assessment by looking for buckling in the streets (during an earthquake), gas leaks and other hazards.


CERT members must also learn first aid. Reinhardt emphasized the importance of the "golden hour," a crucial period for stabilizing someone who is injured.


"Also, it’s important to know when you are in over your head and need help," he said.


Recognizing different kinds of fires will also be taught. If a fire breaks out at a store near a dry cleaner, for instance, responders will learn that it’s a highly dangerous situation and to move everyone out of the area.


Maria Grycan, a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department who will conduct training sessions, said the program is intended for citizens to "learn how to take care of yourself, your family, your neighborhood for three or four days."


Triage techniques and basic medical interventions will be taught, including bandaging, opening airways and splinting broken bones.


Training sessions will begin in March on Tuesday evenings at the Agoura Hills community room located at city hall. A new emergency hotline has been activated—(818) 597-7301. The number will be "hot" only during emergencies.


For further information on classes, contact Carol Tubelis at 597-7316.





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