Trained storm spotters serve an important part in keeping the community safe. The National Weather Service can predict and even identify tornadoes based upon computer-generated information, but that is no substitute for people who actually see and hear the storm as it happens.

The spotters travel to locations where they may gain a better vantage point of potential problems. They act as the eyes and ears of the weather service as they report detailed information about life-threatening storm systems in hopes of saving lives.

These eyewitness reports are passed along immediately so that warnings may be issued as early as possible and to give residents valuable time to move to places of security from the approaching storms. A well-structured amateur radio net is used to communicate information quickly and effectively.

Licensed ham radio operators report hail size, wind speed, significant damage or flooding as well as any other unusual events associated with the weather. Spotters can also report via Facebook and Twitter if they do not have access to radios.

The latest class was sponsored by the Sherburne Skywarn group. They met on Saturday, April 14, 2012 at the Great River for annual Storm Spotter training which was created by Metro Skywarn and the National Weather Service.

Greg Shartle, Sherburne County Skywarn Coordinator, taught the three-hour class of thirty-seven participants from Sherburne and the surrounding counties and was assisted by his wife, Elaina Shartle, who verified records and completed new cards for everyone.

The class members learned about weather terminology and how storms are formed. Viewing videos and photos of past storms was an essential part of the program. They showed important features used in identifying severe weather such as wall clouds, funnel clouds, updrafts and downdrafts.

A special emphasis was placed upon personal safety at all times. By the end of class, attendees were expected to be able to tell a funnel cloud from an actual tornado, something that is not as obvious as one might think.

Each participant who passed the class received a Skywarn ID card that is good for two years. The card lists the identification number a spotter uses when calling in a report to net control.

Becoming a storm spotter is easy – simply register and attend a local class. This is not only beneficial for becoming a trained spotter, but citizens can benefit from the knowledge to help keep their own families safe.

Sherburne Skywarn plans to have another class sometime in late May or June. The class is open to the public. Visit the Sherburne Skywarn group on Facebook for more information and photos.

Stearns County Emergency Management Planner, Erin Hausauer taught the 20-hour course over a period of eight sessions. For more information on the CERT program is, see my  CERT Training Week 1 post from January.

We were asked to attend Wednesday’s final session on July 27, 2011 and act as victims in the aftermath of their simulated tornado emergency. The fire station training room was transformed into a disaster area with overturned chairs and tables, pieces of wood and debris, and victims, including one “dead body.” Extension cords were draped throughout the room to represent fallen electrical wires. Once the victims were in place, rescuers were given the scenario details, divided into groups and began implementing their training by searching for victims and removing them from danger. Once the victims were located, they were taken outside to a triage area and checked for any medical needs. Team members had to identify conditions and perform emergency first aid as necessary.

Victims included a pregnant woman, an unconscious man, and people with various wounds, a broken leg, and a sprained ankle. Some were just plain confused, like me. No, seriously – my role was to breathe 25 respirations per minute, be confused, and be able to follow instructions. I was also invited to take photographs of the event by my CERT leader, but the dedicated Big Lake disaster relief team kept trying to get me to sit down for observation. One of the things we are taught to do in an emergency is to have the walking wounded victims help out, so I told them that I was asked to record the disaster for posterity. Dave played a man with a serious deep cut in his arm. He also lost his wallet in the debris and kept trying to go back and get it.

One of the funniest comments I heard was a member who was examining the pregnant woman after she “fainted.” The member checked for pulse and respirations and said, “I’m beginning to think this pregnancy is not real.” The deadpan way she said that just made me laugh!

After the simulation, CERT members gathered together for a debriefing session. Leaders asked about items that were lost including a couple of CERT bags and a set of keys. From the back of the room, Dave called out and said that he was still missing his wallet – such a crack-up! Overall, the team did a great job finding and rescuing drill victims. The group discussed things that went well and areas that need improvement such as making a plan before initially starting out and communicating more effectively. Unfortunately, there were a few mishaps. Within the first two minutes of the exercise, CERT team members walked in to the disaster area and were “electrocuted” by an hanging electrical wire. They were pronounced dead, but after a time out they were allowed back in to participate.

Observing Big Lake’s exercise from the vantage point of a victim/photographer gave me a good opportunity to review the things we covered in our classes earlier this year. As Sam Olsen pointed out, the reason we continually practice our skills is to get better each time and identify weak spots in our methodology. Working together as a team is very important as well and the way we learn to do that is by taking as many opportunities to do so as possible.

Sam Olson and Cindy Finch, Big Lake Mayor Lori Kampa, Police Chief Sean Rifenberick, Fire Chief Randy Miller and EMT Chief Gordon Vosberg all participated in handing out certificates and pins to the seventeen graduates.

They also each received a phone tree list and very nice laminated maps of the Big Lake and Big Lake Township to help them locate the areas they may be called to serve one day. Three more people will be part of the graduating class as soon as they complete their remaining requirements.

Here is the first Graduating Class of 2011:

Beautiful congratulatory CERT cake was served to all present.

Chief Rifenberick served cake to the graduates.

Big Lake CERT members will participate in ongoing training, including a CPR class at some point. There will also be joint training sessions with both Big Lake and Sherburne County CERT groups. Even though I am a member of the Sherburne County CERT group, I also live in the outer fringes of Big Lake, so I’m glad that I had the chance to meet some wonderful people and I look forward to training (and hopefully not working) with them.

The group picture includes:

Police Officers Sam Olson and Cindy Finch, and Erin Hausauer, CERT Instructor from Stearns County.

The graduates are (in alphabetical order) Aaron Aanerud, Susan Bauer, Justin Boie, Julie Davis, Marie Ebert, Nikki Gruber, Tricia Hedstrom, John Krohn, Mark Lindula, Pamela Lindula, Theresa Littmann, Brian Olene, Betsy Roberts, Daniel Robertson, Alex Shinnick, Janae Stern, Joan Schneider, Ned Schneider, Justin Thooft and Rebecca Vaughn.

I will update this post when I learn what name belongs to which person!

For additional photos, see the second Big Lake CERT post.

Here are some additional photographs of the first Big Lake CERT Graduating Class of 2011:

Certainly temps in the nineties are not uncommon in the middle of the summer here in Minnesota,  but the humidity levels raise the bar to the point of being intolerable.  Widespread excessive heat warnings have been in place all week, as a high pressure system is keeping us wrapped up in a bubble of misery. With heat indexes pushing 110 degrees, caution must be taken with any outdoor activities. Drink lots of fluids, stay indoors when possible, and watch for signs of heat stroke.

Also, keep an eye on friends, family, and neighbors who may not have air conditioning, especially the elderly. These extreme temps can be life-threatening, so caution is advised.

They say these conditions are like living down South in the gulf states. I don’t know about you, but a week of this is more than enough. Just remember, Fall and Winter aren’t that far off. Of course by then, we’ll be complaining of two-foot snow drifts, dead batteries, and sliding into the ditch. Not that I have ever done that. Well, at least not for a few months.

The article provides information on how to purchase sandbags if you live in a low-lying area that may flood.

Please prepare now, before a crisis hits!

See the article at:

http://www.kare11.com/news/article/907708/396/Sherburne-County-warns-residents-to-prepare-for-spring-flooding

Here is a picture Dave took two years ago up at Riverside Park in Princeton.

Fire Safety and Terrorism

02-15-2011 – T. John Cunningham, Elk River Fire Chief

Training Objectives:

• Fire chemistry
• Identifying and reducing fire hazards
• Basic fire suppression strategy
• Firefighting resources
• Firefighting techniques
• Terrorism & CERT

Today’s class was taught by John Cunningham, Elk River’s Fire Chief. This was the first time that I’ve met him, so it was nice to have a chance to listen to him teach. He moved to Minnesota from Connecticut. He is obviously very well-educated, quite knowledgeable in all things fire-related, and spent a lot of time assisting in New York City after 9/11. I really appreciated the down-to-earth advice and suggestions he gave us.

Chief John started out by explaining how fires work and the differences between the various fire extinguishers. It’s important to use the proper extinguisher depending upon the source of the fire.

I found a good graphic to explain the differences:

(Click the graphic to see an enlarged version)

Here are some of the chief’s fire safety tips:

• Don’t plug too many cords into one strip – avoid the “electrical octopus”
• Don’t run extension cords under the carpet.
• Don’t clip off the Leviton wings when installing a dimmer switch – you will reduce the wattage capacity substantially.
• Extension cords are meant to be temporary – if you find you need always need one in a particular spot, have an electrician come in and install an outlet there instead.
• Instead of fighting an electrical fire, turn off the source of the electricity whenever safely possible.
• Replace carbon monoxide alarms at least every five years – even cooking fumes can cause them to be less efficient.
• When warming up your vehicle, pull it outside of the garage instead of just opening the garage door – carbon monoxide fumes will linger and find any openings into the house.
• Locate and label all utility shut-off valves. The gas is on when the valve is in-line with the pipe.
• Do not turn the gas on yourself if it has been shut off in an emergency – let the gas company do it and check all the appliances to make sure they are operating safely.
• Make sure all of your friends who live in condominiums know where the utility shut-offs are as well, especially the ones who live right above you!
• Tornado sirens are meant for people outdoors, so don’t complain if you cannot hear them when you are inside your house. Be prepared by getting a weather radio that will go off in event of a warning put out by the National Weather Service.

We learned to use the acronym P.A.S.S when using a fire extinguisher:

Chief John also spoke to us about terrorism. He lived in Connecticut at the time of 9/11 and was called upon to help with the aftermath. He told us about one of his good friends that worked at Ground Zero for two months and how that friend just died last month. We tend to get caught up in the busyness of our own lives and forget that people involved with any emergency situation have to go on and endure whatever consequences occur. I wrote a post about that when Glen “Bubba” Bye died and I still often think about and pray for his family.

We looked at the definitions of terrorism from the different United States agencies and talked about how none of them are the same, even though they share the same components.

Another thing we talked about is being prepared in case of a terrorist attack. We may have to “shelter in place” for some period of time and we need to be prepared to do so – water, food, duct tape are all important things to have. We should also have a means of communication besides our cell phones which may not work.

Also, when working at an emergency site, we should aware of our location in proximity to the event. Chief John said, “If you can see it, smell it, or hear it – you are too close.” He demonstrated the “rule of thumb” technique. You should be far enough away from the area so that if you hold you thumb up in front of you, it covers the entire area.

After the fire safety session was done, George Balowski went over some more triage details. The biggest thing we have to remember is that we are supposed to do the greatest good for the greatest amount of people. This means that if a person doesn’t start breathing after a couple of attempts to resuscitate him, we have to move on to help others. That will probably be the hardest decision we have to make.

My biggest disappointment in the evening was not being able to go outside and actually practice putting a fire out. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate, but I can see where high speed winds could interfere with our plans! Maybe we’ll have another chance at some point.

Next week – the big drill!

Disaster Medical Operations I & II

02-08-2011 – Sgt. Jason Volkers

Training Objectives:

• Treatment strategies for life-threatening conditions
• Principles of triage

Week three of our CERT training brought us back to the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) at the main building. Today’s training consisted of basic first aid. Our instructor was Jason Volkers, who did a great job keeping things informative and interesting at the same time.

Upon entering the training room, it was pretty obvious what we were going to be doing. At each table were an adult-sized CPR training mannequin and an infant model. We introduced ourselves to our tablemates, but they were the quiet types and remained motionless. Perhaps the fact the adult mannequin had no lower extremities put him/her/it in a bad mood!

The class started with a presentation of proper first aid procedures, but it didn’t take long before we were on to the highlight of the class, the CPR training. After thorough explanation, we got an opportunity to do each step in the latest recommended procedures.

CPR for Adults and Children Over the Age of 1

The mnemonic for CPR used to be ABC – Airway, Breathing, Circulation.

After extensive studies were completed, experts determined that compressions were far more important in keeping a person alive so they should be done first. They found that the blood contains enough oxygen to provide vital organs the needed oxygen for four minutes without the lungs taking in air.

The new mnemonic is CAB – Circulation, Airway, Breathing.

Here is the proper CPR procedure:

1. Call 911 for Help

• Point to a specific bystander and tell them to call 911, bring an AED and come back.
• If you are alone, call 911 and return to the victim.

2. 30 Chest Compressions

• If the victim is still not breathing normally, coughing or moving, begin chest compressions.
• Push down 30 times in the center of the chest about 2 inches deep.
• Pump hard and fast at the rate of at least 100/minute, faster than once per second.

3. 2 Breaths

• Tilt the head back and lift the chin.
• Pinch nose and cover the mouth with yours.
• Blow until you see the chest rise.
• Give 2 breaths with each one lasting for 1 second.

4. Keep giving 30 chest compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives.

Please note:  This ratio is the same for one-person & two-person CPR.
In two-person CPR the person pumping the chest stops while the other gives mouth-to-mouth breathing.

After we all demonstrated these skills, we moved on the to infant CPR training.

Infant CPR on Babies Less Than 1 Year Old

1. Gently tap the baby’s feet to see if he will react.

• If there is no response and not breathing or not breathing normally, position the infant on his or her back and begin CPR.
• The baby can be held in the rescuer’s arms if transportation is necessary.

2. Give 30 Compressions

• Give 30 gentle chest compressions at the rate of at least 100 per minute.
• Use two or three fingers in the center of the chest just below the nipples.
• Press down approximately one-third the depth of the chest (about 1 and a half inches).

3. Open The Airway

• Open the airway using a head tilt lifting of chin.
• Do not tilt the head too far back

4. Give 2 Gentle Breaths

• If the baby is not breathing or not breathing normally, cover the baby’s mouth and nose with your mouth and give 2 gentle breaths.
• Each breath should be 1 second long.
• You should see the baby’s chest rise with each breath.

5. Keep giving 30 compressions and 2 breaths until help arrives.

Heimlich Maneuver

We also discussed using the Heimlich maneuver on someone who is choking. Jason told us of a time one of the inmates in the jail started choking on his food. A correctional officer went over to help him. The guy was so excited to be able to breathe again that he threw his hands up in the air to celebrate and then tried to give the officer a hug. I laughed at Jason’s demonstration of his reaction – he threw out his arms and said, “Hey man, no hugging in jail!”

Automated External Defibrillators

Another thing we learned was how to use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator). For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is a user-friendly version of the electric “heart zappers” you see used in emergency rooms on TV and in the movies.

These devices are becoming more and more commonplace, and you can often see them located mounted on walls in public areas. They are available for the personal user as well – despite their relatively high cost, I think it’s a worthwhile investment if you can swing it.

The AED is very simple to use, but it was very helpful to see one up close. The AED paddles are attached to a victim’s chest, and then the unit proceeds to analyze his or her condition with the push of a button. If an electrical “zap” is required to get the heart beating properly, it will tell you so. The machines are designed for use by anyone, as they give you verbal instructions on what to do. It’s important to be aware that certain situations can interfere with the unit working properly – men with hairy chests, women wearing bras, anyone with wet skin. These devices are true life-savers, especially when used in conjunction with CPR.

(Click on the photos for a larger view)

We watched an amazing video where a man who had been swimming was found underwater, not breathing. We watched as they pulled him from the water and started CPR. They applied the AED and we were able to watch how it worked. The man was definitely dead, because you could see his body contracting from lack of oxygen. The rescuers continued and applied the AED three separate times. The man actually started breathing and revived.

Jason Volkers told us that he appreciates hearing the experience of other people because he is able to play through those scenarios in his mind and they help him to be better prepared. I debated on telling him of my experience, but I knew that I would probably break down in the middle of class, so I decided not to say anything.

Nine years ago in October 2002, we had our own emergency experience with my nine-year old daughter. My sixteen year-old son always checked on the children before he went to bed. He found Brianna lying face down in her bed, purple-colored and not breathing. He called 911 as I had the sad opportunity of performing CPR. Unfortunately, the outcome was not as good as the rescued drowning victim. She had been gone for too long to be resuscitated. They eventually determined that she passed away from cardiomegaly, an enlarged heart. She had just had a complete physical a couple months earlier and we never knew there was anything wrong with her heart.

I mention this because it’s important to be mentally prepared if you are ever in an emergency situation. Training is great, but it doesn’t prepare someone for all of the possible contingencies that may arise in real life. One of the class participants spoke of the process of actually giving CPR to a person. She talked about the mouth foaming, the gurgling noises you hear, and how you can actually hear ribs breaking when you are compressing the chest. She described my experience perfectly. Hearing her speak sent me right back to that night.

Another important part of dealing with emergencies is the emotional and mental well-being of the emergency workers. The emergency will eventually wind down, but the psychological trauma may be with the victims and rescuers for a long time.  I’m sure some of the people who lived through 9/11 are still struggling today, coming up on 10 years later.

Overall, this was a good night.

We will be certified by the American Heart Association in Adult, Child, and Infant CPR and AED use for two years. I have greater peace of mind knowing that I can use this training if I am ever in an emergency situation.

Contact the Local American Heart Association or the Local Red Cross office if you are interested in receiving Emergency first aid training.

Light Search and Rescue

02-01-2011 – Larry Narikawa

Training Objectives:

• Search and rescue priorities and resources
• Techniques for situation size-up
• Lifting, cribbing, and victim removal
• Rescuer safety, including recognizing: rescuer limitations and construction-related hazards

Our instructor for the second class was Larry Nagasaki, whom we met two years ago when we first took an interest in the CERT program. The subject of this class was “search and rescue.” I knew we were in for some serious hands-on training when we learned we were meeting at the gun range!

We started with a short classroom lesson, but soon broke up into two teams for the simulated disaster they had set up for us at the gun range. We picked a team leader, who did a great job getting us organized and ready to get to work.

To add a sense of realism, we were outfitted with helmets, gloves, and flashlights. After reviewing what we had learned, the first team was sent in to basically evaluate what they saw and report back to the entire group what they had observed. My team went in second to make our own observations, but also perform some “rescue” tasks as well.

Upon entering the darkened gun range, our group split into two separate teams, each starting on one side of the simulated “building” to begin our search and rescue. We came across our first scene, consisting of an unfortunate “corpse” buried beneath some debris, as well as a potential hazardous material. At our second scene, we found a “walking wounded” and accompanied her out to safety. We also rescued a trapped victim using the cribbing technique we learned earlier. This gave us an opportunity to use of of the carrying techniques we learned earlier, using a chair to transport our victim to our “staging” area for treatment.

After some more hands on training with Larry and the other instructors, and a question and answer session, we called it a night. We did get a heads up, however, that our “final exam” will be more elaborate, so I guess we have some studying to do.

Hmm, I wonder which of the children will play the corpse in our at-home simulated disaster?

These are the training topics that we will learn about over the next six weeks, from the CERT website:

Disaster Preparedness: Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster. As the session progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers. Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner. The CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.

Disaster Psychology and Team Organization: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.

Light Search and Rescue Operations: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer safety.

Disaster Medical Operations, Part I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.

Disaster Medical Operations, Part II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.

Disaster Fire Suppression: Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.

Course Review and Disaster Simulation: Participants review their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in disaster activity.

CERT Training – Week 1

01-25-2011

Jennifer Callahan
Kim Dahle
Andy Miller
Travis Basavage
George Balowski

Training Objectives:

Introductions

Disaster Preparedness

• Introduction to disasters.
• Impact of disasters on infrastructure
• Hazards posed by building structures and non structural items
• The role of CERT in disaster response

Disaster Psychology: The post-disaster emotional environment

CERT organization
CERT decision making and documentation

We started our first class by signing in and introducing ourselves to one another. Dave saw Ken, one of his former Minneapolis clients from seven or eight years ago – small world!

Jennifer Callahan, Sherburne County’s Emergency Services Director gave us an overview of what we would be covering. We met several people involved in various aspects of emergency preparedness, including sheriff department personnel, Skywarn storm spotters, ham radio operators, people from the volunteer organization Hope Filled Hands, already-certified CERT members, and ready-to-be-certified CERT members.

It’s great to know that there are so many people who are willing to sacrifice their time to help their friends and neighbors in the community, and in some cases, even as far away as New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and New York City after 9/11.

We had to do a team-building exercise where we broke into groups and had to figure out how to build a five-foot tall structure using only paper and tape. Our group did okay, but one group nailed it with a Greek Parthenon-looking multi-layer temple with columns. Kudos to them!

We learned how being trained members of the CERT program will enable us to help in a variety of possible emergencies starting in our own families and neighborhoods, and extending to being activated to assist in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters such as tornadoes, flooding, and even earthquakes. We learned about the organizational structure of the program and the importance of following the proper chain-of-command.

We watched a video on disaster psychology and learned of the importance of taking care of ourselves as well as others during an emergency. Safety first was strongly emphasized because one hurt volunteer can make two or three other workers unavailable to do their assignments. We will have to wear helmets, goggles, and gloves whenever we are activated.

We met some wonderful people and learned a lot of good things tonight – this is going to be a great class!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxDhFCw_sR0[/youtube]