Clallam County Fire District 3 in Sequim is holding an event on Saturday, June 3, with Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) from across Clallam County.
The event will demonstrate the exercise of 10 fire-sponsored CERT teams of 20 members each in building search and rescue, triage of injured, transport of the injured using liters and providing limited medical treatment.
This large CERT drill in Clallam County is a joint effort of Clallam County Emergency Management, the City of Sequim and the American Red Cross in conjunction with Clallam County Fire District 3.
The joint exercise is designed to better understand the capabilities of these newly developed teams assigned to a CCFD 3 fire officer. They are tasked with searching damaged buildings and homes in their neighborhoods and will continue to undergo monthly training.
The goal is to use citizen teams organized and trained to a consistent standard as a force multiplier in a catastrophic disaster to be sure that no one is left unaccounted for or trapped for an extended period of time.
The exercise is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. and should last for approximately nine hours with a scheduled lunch break. Media parking will be at the Sequim Community School, 222 W. Alder St. where the search event occurs and adjacent to the Joint Information Center. There will be a media briefing at 10 a.m. with an opportunity for live photographs and a briefing by Chief Ben Andrews of Fire District 3.
The school realistically simulates a post-earthquake environment with ceiling tiles, debris and furniture strewn around and will be torn down this summer after this last exercise.
Fire District 3 encompasses 142 square miles covering all of Eastern Clallam County and has over 10,000 homes that will require being checked within the first week after a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake for survival of entrapped citizens. With fewer than 150 fire, EMS and law enforcement personnel located in Eastern Clallam and less than one-third of them being on duty, the addition of 200 CERTs provides the community with a major resource to ensure citizens’ chances of survivability after a devastating quake.
Agencies expected to participate include: Fire District 3, Clallam County Emergency Management, American Red Cross and the City of Sequim.
CERT fills an important role in developing a resilient community and is one component of an overall plan to increase disaster readiness. Public education, Map Your Neighborhood groups, participation and training in ham radio operator groups and CERT teams all work together and complement each other by providing different opportunities for volunteers and meaningful work that builds community.
Local residents should not be alarmed by the increase presence of law enforcement, fire and first response agencies the day of the exercise, but should be aware an exercise is in progress.
Streets in the area will be open for traffic.
For more information call Penny Linterman, plinterman@co.clallam.wa.us at 417-2483 or 460-6768.
