Jeff White
March 29, 2004, 01:56 PM
Yet, how many of these programs exists and how much funding do they receive? Could it be that the administration has decided to involve the American people in their own security 3 years after the fact or is this locally driven?
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/St.+Louis+City+%2F+County/A6606AC5F014A04186256E660016980D?OpenDocument&Headline=Civilians+train+in+case+disaster+threatens
Civilians train in case disaster threatens
By Tina Hesman
Of the Post-Dispatch
03/29/2004
Homeland security hits a little closer to home these days for Valorie Marrot.
Marrot, a mother of six from Ellisville, was one of eight volunteers who trained over the weekend to be part of a Civilian Emergency Response Team.
The effort is part of a program sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish civilian teams that can assist others when emergency services are overwhelmed or delayed. In the wake of terrorist attacks, such citizen emergency squads also could be important for homeland defense.
Marrot and her family already had an emergency kit to last them through three days after a disaster. But she realized that she had no idea what to do immediately after a fire, tornado or terrorist attack. She and the other volunteers gathered over the weekend at Metro West Fire Protection District House 3 in Wildwood for emergency preparedness training.
The class was the fourth sponsored by the district, the city of Wildwood and the St. Louis County, Ballwin and Ellisville police departments, said Michael Thiemann, a community education specialist for the fire district.Other fire districts, counties, cities and municipalities have their own training programs, Thiemann said. The civilian force is meant to protect their families, homes and neighbors in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. The threats range from natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and tornadoes, to technical problems, such as blackouts, to terrorism.
But being the very first person on the scene is not always easy, said Michael Smiley, deputy director of the Office of Emergency Management at the St. Louis County police department.
"You're not going to have a full-fledged medical pack. You're going to have to make due with what you've got. You're going to have to be innovative," Smiley said.
Their training was put to the test at a disaster simulation Sunday.
Several former trainees returned to class to serve as both advisers and simulated victims.
Lynn Carney, an art teacher, said most of the disaster training at schools prepares staff to keep children safe during a disaster but doesn't address what comes next. "We can't always look to the nurses to take care of all the needs," Carney said.
People who are interested in participating in an emergency training session April 2-4 in Fenton should contact Michael Smiley at 314-628-5400.
Reporter Tina Hesman
E-mail: thesman@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8325
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/News/St.+Louis+City+%2F+County/A6606AC5F014A04186256E660016980D?OpenDocument&Headline=Civilians+train+in+case+disaster+threatens
Civilians train in case disaster threatens
By Tina Hesman
Of the Post-Dispatch
03/29/2004
Homeland security hits a little closer to home these days for Valorie Marrot.
Marrot, a mother of six from Ellisville, was one of eight volunteers who trained over the weekend to be part of a Civilian Emergency Response Team.
The effort is part of a program sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to establish civilian teams that can assist others when emergency services are overwhelmed or delayed. In the wake of terrorist attacks, such citizen emergency squads also could be important for homeland defense.
Marrot and her family already had an emergency kit to last them through three days after a disaster. But she realized that she had no idea what to do immediately after a fire, tornado or terrorist attack. She and the other volunteers gathered over the weekend at Metro West Fire Protection District House 3 in Wildwood for emergency preparedness training.
The class was the fourth sponsored by the district, the city of Wildwood and the St. Louis County, Ballwin and Ellisville police departments, said Michael Thiemann, a community education specialist for the fire district.Other fire districts, counties, cities and municipalities have their own training programs, Thiemann said. The civilian force is meant to protect their families, homes and neighbors in the immediate aftermath of an emergency. The threats range from natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and tornadoes, to technical problems, such as blackouts, to terrorism.
But being the very first person on the scene is not always easy, said Michael Smiley, deputy director of the Office of Emergency Management at the St. Louis County police department.
"You're not going to have a full-fledged medical pack. You're going to have to make due with what you've got. You're going to have to be innovative," Smiley said.
Their training was put to the test at a disaster simulation Sunday.
Several former trainees returned to class to serve as both advisers and simulated victims.
Lynn Carney, an art teacher, said most of the disaster training at schools prepares staff to keep children safe during a disaster but doesn't address what comes next. "We can't always look to the nurses to take care of all the needs," Carney said.
People who are interested in participating in an emergency training session April 2-4 in Fenton should contact Michael Smiley at 314-628-5400.
Reporter Tina Hesman
E-mail: thesman@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8325