Fort Bend County ESD #4 and Fulshear – Simonton Fire Department Host 2nd CERT Training Class

Posted August 24, 2010 10:54:59 AM CDT

Richmond, TX - << August 8, 2010 >>

CERT Class Graduation Photo The Fort Bend County Emergency Services District #4 and the Fulshear - Simonton Fire Department hosted their second Community Emergency Response Team Training for the communities of Fulshear, Simonton and Weston Lakes. 17 local citizens completed the training conducted August 6^th through the 8th. Cliff Aldrich and Lou Boudreaux, Emergency Management Coordinators for the cities of Weston Lakes and Simonton were present to kick-off the training. The compressed weekend class included topics such as; Disaster Preparedness, Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search and Rescue, and Team Organization and included simulations and exercises so students could get hands-on experience. “CERT is a wonderful program for communities looking to work together to provide assistance to those in need in the aftermath of a disaster when trained personnel are needed to work alongside our professional responders” offers Shauna Evans, Volunteer Programs Manager for the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management.

Fire Suppression The graduation ceremony and final exercise were held on Sunday, August 8^th. The final exercise is designed to enhance the skills learned by each volunteer team member in a simulated disaster environment. With the assistance of the Fulshear – Simonton Fire Department and Fort Bend County EMS, the newly graduated CERT team members 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 located, extricate, and treat victims.

Certificates and volunteer badges were presented by Jeff Braun, Emergency Management Coordinator and Shauna Evans, Volunteer Programs Manager for the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management. “I was thrilled to be invited back to do a second training for these communities. They are working hard to develop their teams for use in both non-emergency and emergency situations. They are already asking for more training and will be a valuable asset to the County’s preparedness and response efforts, should disaster strike,” adds Evans.

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 or contact the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management at 281-342-6185.

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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.

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