Phone: (281) 238-3419
Fax: (281) 342-4798
Office of Emergency Management
Crossing Guards Learn to Safeguard Our Neighborhoods, As Well As Our Kids
RICHMOND, Texas (August 26, 2009). The Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management awarded certificates to nine Fort Bend Independent School District crossing guards who completed an 8-week CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program. CERT training certification requires the completion of a 24-hour curriculum that focuses on the fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster activities. Participants receive classroom training, with includes, demonstrations and exercises, such as fire suppression and search and rescue techniques and participate in a full-scale disaster simulation exercise. Class instruction was provided by these local response agencies; Stafford Fire Department, Fort Bend County Emergency Medical Services, and the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management.
Following the presentation of certificates by Alan Spears, Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management, graduates put their skills to the test in a mock-disaster exercise. The final exercise was designed to enhance the skills learned by each volunteer team member in a simulated disaster environment. With the assistance of several FBISD sixth grade students, who portrayed disaster “victims”, the team of crossing guards responded to a simulated building collapse with victims trapped inside. Team members practiced their skills in search and rescue, disaster medical and triage, and CERT organization as they worked the scene to locate, extract, and treat victims.
“CERT training teaches preparedness skills that every citizen needs to have and promotes the importance of neighbor helping neighbor, in times of emergency or following a disaster,” explains Shauna Evans, Volunteer Programs Manager for the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management. “These crossing guards demonstrate their commitment to the safety of our neighborhoods each day. They now have the knowledge and skill to provide a greater level of assistance when our first response agencies are overwhelmed and professional response assistance is delayed.”
The Community Emergency Response Team program is sponsored by Fort Bend County and facilitated through the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management. For more information on the County’s volunteer programs, visit www.fbcoem.org.
###
Fort Bend County is located in the Texas Southeast, immediately South and West of Harris County and the city of Houston. It is the home of over 500,000 people and is one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. For more information about Fort Bend County, visit the county homepage at http://www.co.fort-bend.tx.us.
The Office of Emergency Management (OEM) was established to protect the residents and property of Fort Bend County from damage relating to disasters. The OEM accomplishes this through effective planning, preparation, response and recovery. For more information about the Fort Bend County OEM, visit the OEM homepage at http://www.fbcoem.org.
Powered by the PIER System