Saratoga News
News
It's important to be prepared, and that's not just Boy Scouts
By Shannon Burkey
Jim Yoke says it's a not a question of if a natural disaster will occur in Saratoga; it's a question of when.
That's why Yoke, emergency services coordinator for the Santa Clara County Fire Department, is working with the city to do all he can to prepare residents for when the "big one" hits.
Yoke led packed classes of the city's first Community Emergency Response Team training on Jan. 25 and 27.
"The classes were really rocking and rolling," Yoke said. "The people involved are really taking on a lot of different projects and running with them."
The CERT program began in 1993 when the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched it in communities across the nation. While almost every community in Santa Clara County has had its own CERT program for some time, this is Saratoga's first.
"We're going to get hit by a disaster. Since we know it's going to happen, people should be prepared," Yoke said. "Saratoga CERT members will be in a position during a major disaster to ensure that their families and homes are safe, then provide assistance to their neighborhoods and communities as an organized, volunteer arm of the larger response system."
The CERT program works by recruiting volunteers who are interested in becoming a key part of emergency response in their community in the event of a disaster. These volunteers are then trained in disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology and team operations.
"Once they are trained, they should be able to form up in their neighborhoods and communities when a disaster strikes and address the needs of their communities," Yoke said. "That is where they become super valuable. As a community, we have to be able to take care of each other, and this is a great way to do that."
Vice Mayor Ann Waltonsmith has already been CERT-trained and works with a group of about 30 other Saratogans who also have gone through the training. The group meets once a month to keep up with training and discuss ways to best help the city in the event of a disaster.
"The better we get and the more training we have, the more help we'll be to our police and fire departments," Waltonsmith said.
Yoke said it is important for residents to know the basics of disaster preparedness training because there is no guarantee that when a disaster strikes, the professional emergency responders will be able to reach Saratoga immediately.
"What we learned from Katrina is that help may not be there right away. Saratoga may have first responders if a disaster hits, or it may be a few days," Yoke said. "With CERT training, people will be in a position to provide assistance to the first responders. They are not replacing the professionals but will be able to provide assistance to them."
The CERT training program is six weeks long; upon completion, in addition to gaining knowledge to prepare them for a disaster, trainees will receive a hard hat and vest, making them official CERT members.
Yoke plans to make the training a twice- yearly event, in January and July, but he said if there is more demand, the program will adapt to the needs of the community.
Waltonsmith said becoming CERT-trained is something all Saratogans should look into as a way to ensure the safety of not only themselves, but of their families and neighbors.
"Every city, in an emergency, will not have enough hired professionals to do the job. That's why you need the local people to come in and help."
For information on the next CERT training class, contact Jim Yoke at sccfd_esc@ yahoo.com.
