Twenty students at Groves High School Logistics
program graduated this week from the first Teen Community Emergency Response
Team (CERT) training. They now have the
skills necessary to better assist their school and neighborhood if a disaster
strikes. When a disaster hits, it’s often the most marginalized, vulnerable
communities that suffer most. When faced with a crisis, marginalized
communities do their best to respond in any way they can. Investing in the preparedness of marginalized
communities will reduce the negative impact of disasters for our Chatham County
neighbors that inevitably suffer the most.
The two lead
trainers for the Teen CERT program were Natavia Sanders - CERT Coordinator for
Community Organized Relief Efforts (CORE), and Beverlee Trotter - Executive
Director for Savannah Youth City. In
October 2018, a pilot program was launched that certified the trainers through the
Chatham Emergency Management Dept to expand CERT throughout the Chatham County
area. Also, in 2018, Savannah Youth City, Inc. and the SSU Homeland Security
and Emergency Management Department received the outstanding Collaboration
Award for Building and Sustaining an Outstanding partnership in Preparedness
from the Chatham Emergency Management Agency.
During the
course, students learned how to open airways, control bleeding, and treat
shock, plus, put out fires, search and rescue, and react to an active shooter. They also received training on how to
organize volunteers and collect disaster intelligence in order to support the
efforts of first responders. Instructors for the program included paramedics,
firefighters, doctors, and other qualified professionals.
Youth
volunteers who completed the training gained these important skills to enable
them to help in emergency situations that can arise in everyday life. Community
Emergency Response Training (CERT) programs exist around the country, as do
TEEN CERT programs, but this new program – a collaboration between CORE, Savannah
Youth City, Inc., and the SSU Homeland Security and Emergency Management, is
unique to Savannah. You may see CERT or
Teen Cert around town volunteering or assisting first responders. Upon
completion of the course, youth participants and Adults receive a vest, hardhat
and backpack with the National CERT logo on it filled with supplies to assist
First Responders and serve their communities, neighborhoods and schools.
