320-C.E.R.T

Saturday morning I worked an overtime shift from 06-12.. That wasn't smart. I was already exhausted from this weekend plus it was the first real official snow day. Thankfully its not a huge commuting day because it was a hectic day at work!! As soon as work was over at noon I had to leave Ogden, stop in Willard pick up Kennedy and go to Deweyville. Dad was teaching a C.E.R.T class. For those of you who don't know what C.E.R.T is...real quick over view.. If there is a disaster the C.E.R.T teams stand for Community Emergency Response Teams. Its groups of volunteers in the community who go through a basic class teaching them how to respond and assist a community during a disaster. Searching for patients/deceased/victims, triage, basic medical care. When/If something big happens ie tornado, earthquake, flooding etc the emergency resources will be completely over stretched for the firs 24-72 hours. Thats where C.E.R.T comes in to play. So they go through a class. Learn about triage, how to search buildings, make medical centers etc. Where we come in is we are victims in a mock disaster situation. We hide in the building. Some are injured. Some are dead. Some dont follow directions. They have to find us. Triage us (rate our levels of injury with a piece of flagging tape. Blacks dead. Red is critical. Yellow is hurt pretty good. Green is walking wounded) So that the most severely hurt get the critical care first and also is a way to group the injured so that you know what you have. We (my sisters and I) have done this for years. My dad has taught C.E.R.T classes as long as I can remember. He used to travel back to D.C and teach them, also has taught them at embassy's over the world. So we met to get all bloodied up. It really is a shock for them to walk into the building and see someone 'hurt.' Especially if there are kids. It completely throws them off. BUT in a real disaster there will be hurt kids. There will be hurt elderly. Pregnant women. Injured responders etc. So we try to make it as real as possible.

We got all gooped up but kept it pretty mellow

 Macee thought it was pretty awesome ha! This was her first victim class, along with Parker, Kinlie, Kennedy and Klint. 

 She ended up falling asleep during it. Some of you may see this and think what!?? Seriously!? But just remember this really will be the case or worse in a real disaster. The more people are prepared and ready the better its going to be. 

 The Deweyville city offices are seriously like the size of a room lol! You walk in and have two bathrooms (male and female) a small kitchen, an office and then an open area and thats all. Kennedy was in the open area with me, mom, Kinlie, Liz and Grandpa walking around. That also is where the medical treatment area was. She didnt want any gore on so she was dead. She wasnt too happy about that. Kennedy is a very detail oriented person and has to know the whys, ins and outs of everything. All the time. SO trying to explain a natural disaster to her, why we do this and what her role was got confusing for her. She kept asking they arent going to take my blood sugar or give me a shot are they?? We let them find her 'dead' and tag her and then she got up and walked around with Klint and I. 

 This little girl who was 'injured' in the bathroom was awesome! She was shaking and fake crying. She rocked it! The have to stop/treat any immediate bleeding, threat to life, and make shift splint. Then transport the patient into the medical care area. 

 Kennedy and Klint hanging out in the kitchen. Elysha and Macee were 'found' in the kitchen. Elysha was not alert, didnt follow directions and kept yelling for them to find her son. She was holding Macee so they were really confused.  Parker was in the kitchen hiding in a cabinet. He did so good staying quiet and hidden, except the little giggles every now and then. They are supposed to search all over finding all victims. They eventually found Parker with Kennedy's help ha! In a real disaster kids get scared. They hide in cabinets, under blankets etc so when you clear a building you have to search everywhere to make sure there is no one left behind. Because once you've searched a building and gotten everyone out the building is tagged so they know its been cleared. 

 Elysha, Mom and Macee hanging out in the medical treatment area

 Happy 'victims'

 Kyle was hiding too.. well more like pinned. He was trapped under some debris and they had to get him out, splint his arm and backboard him.

 Oh and hey dont worry.. all the stress of the natural disaster sent Liz into labor in the medical area. REALLY PEOPLE THESE THINGS HAPPEN!! This was actually a mild going search/building size/ injury scale than some C.E.R.T classes we've done. They didnt have to put out any fires or anything like that in this one. 

 Hanging out in the medical area eating some pizza. We know how to have fun!

 Baby Koree is getting so big! Liz was so shocked to see a picture of her and how pregnant she looked.

 After that I was exhausted. We still had so much more to do! I met Chris back at Todd and Janas where he had been all day. They were unpacking more things and hanging stuff on the wall. We played the game of where does this look best. Im sure the boys were thrilled haha!

 They have had several neighbors come over and introduce themselves. Bring cookies, help unload boxes. The bishopric stopped by on their first night there. The Bishop is actually one of our good family friends who is also on the fire department. He was shocked when they stopped by for their visit and saw me, Chris, mom, and Liz there! They said they've met more people and felt more welcome than the entire 20+ years the lived in Brigham.  I told them welcome to Willard. Thats how we do it here!

 Kennedy drew a picture of me saving patients :)