CERT Final Exercise June 7, 2008

Our latest CERT Class had their CERT Final Exercise on Saturday June 7th at the Jackson Fire Department Training Center. It was hot, dirty and sweaty...just right for a good emergency drill.

CERT Team Members received a safety briefing and instruction on small fire suppression from Terresia Reasons, Jackson Fire Department inside the Fire Training Center classroom before deploying to the back-lot for live fire suppression. CERT Members learned the different types of fire extinguishers for use with different types of fires. Terrisia Reasons and George Conner were the coach/instructors for the fire suppression drill.

After fire suppression, CERT Members were instructed on the proper use of 'cribbing' in the extraction of an injured victim from under a fallen object, such as a wall or collapsed part of a building. Cribbing is used to support and lift the object off the victim safely for both the victim and the CERT Team. Alan Castleman, Madison County Sheriff's Department was the coach and instructor for this part of the exercise.

Following fire suppression and cribbing, the CERT Team performed a 'Search & Rescue' and Triage and Medical Treatment drill. "Victims" were staged with various injuries, located in a training house built for the purpose and extracted by CERT Members and taken to a Triage area for treatment by the medical team. Alan Castleman and Don Friddle, Jackson Fire Department served and coach instructors for this part of the Final.

All CERT Members got a chance to participate in all phases of the exercise.

Congratulations and thanks to all who completed the Final Drill for CERT, and many thanks to the dedicated and hardworking volunteer instructors for the important program.

G. Michael Winslow
CERT Coordinator
Jackson-Madison Co. EMA
Tennessee Homeland Security / District 10