MGCCC emergency response training

When emergencies occur, many times the first people on the scene are faced with overwhelming challenges and life-threatening decisions. In an effort to help prepare citizens for disaster situations, the college, in conjunction with state officials, offered six days of detailed emergency training in late April for college employees and local citizens.

The program is called CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and is a vital component of President Bush's community-based initiative to engage citizens in homeland security and family preparedness through public education. The training was paid for a by a grant from the state’s Emergency Management Agency.

Starting April 22, the college’s Applied Technology and Development Center in Gulfport hosted two separate sessions, one to train and prepare future CERT trainers and another session for 30 college employees. Altogether, more than 60 people participated, including two local hospitals, several police and fire departments, and Marine Patrol.

The 20-hour training concluded with mock disasters that required participates to use their training. Dr. Judith Benvenutti, director of Health Occupations at the college, was a co-organizer of the event and says the disaster drills showed the true benefits of CERT training.

"The disaster simulation exercise was an eye-awakening experience for the victims and the rescue teams. Rescuers learned to make stretchers to carry victims, how to stop bleeding and put out fires," Benvenutti says.

The CERT training and drills focused on several key areas - fire safety, disaster preparedness, medical triage, search and rescue techniques, disaster psychology, and terrorism.

Peggy West, a Jefferson Davis Campus instructor, comments, “Having no medical background, this training gave me the confidence to respond to injuries and help victims. The trainers and manuals were very comprehensive."

“Waiting to be rescued is the hard part if you are a victim," adds Jan Moody, Perk’s Dean of Instruction, who acted as a victim with a gunshot wound from a simulated terrorism attack.

David Carter, JD security officer, says, "These simulations will help each campus be better prepared and get their CERT teams primed for action."

College employees take the blood pressure of a victim during a mock disaster for the final day of CERT training at ATDC on April 28.

More than 30 college employees took part in mock disaster drills as emergency responders and victims on April 28 for the final day of training as part of the CERT program.