Mo. Students Learn to Survive Disaster in CERT Course

Dec. 06--WARRENSBURG -- Moans, groans and anguished cries for help reverberated through the halls and classrooms at the Warrensburg Career Center as mock disaster victims awaited rescuers -- seven fellow students from the Health Sciences Class.

Some of the "tornado" victims lay under furniture in darkened halls and classrooms, and some under and around cars in the automotive bays. The seven rescuers, outfitted in fluorescent vests and bright green helmets, and armed with backpacks and lanterns, performed search and rescue operations amid overturned furniture. They assessed injuries, provided emergency treatment and sent -- or in some instances carried -- victims to triage.

Injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to broken bones. A deceased dummy victim lay under the wheel of a vehicle.

The drill tested what students learned in a semester-long Community Emergency Response Team training course taught by Mike Wakeman.

Teacher Rhonda Wakeman said the second-year students completed the Certified Nurse Aide course.

More students went through the same assessment later in the day.

All the students took a written test Thursday.

"We were looking for a program for the second-year students," Rhonda Wakeman said, "and this is something a lot of them were interested in doing."

Sponsored by Johnson County Emergency Management, CERT aims to teach people to care for themselves, families and neighbors during the first three days of a natural disaster, Mike Wakeman said.

Students took field trips to police, fire and ambulance departments and "did practicals," such as learning to shut off gas and electricity, operate fire extinguishers, conduct search and rescue, do basic medical care and deal with stressed survivors, he said.

"They learned all the competencies," he said, and put them to use in the mock disaster.

Emergency management evaluators assessed the students, who all passed the test, Wakeman said.

Whether they continue with CERT or not, he said, students learned skills they can use throughout life.

Evaluators, school staff and emergency management personnel debriefed students after the exercise, he said.

"(they) were very pleased with the accomplishments and what they have learned and were able to do today," Wakeman said. "They found it a little harder than they thought finding and caring for patients." The physical side proved more strenuous for female students who had to carry patients.

Rhonda Wakeman said the second exercise went as well as the first, with different evaluators.

"I think the students enjoyed it," she said, adding, "The instructors enjoyed it as well. Staff thought it turned out well."

Feedback from students and evaluators showed areas to improve next year, Rhonda Wakeman said.

Warrensburg Career Center Administrator Rusty Sproat said, "It's been fun. The kids have learned a lot about emergency preparedness in Johnson County."

Wakeman said quite a few students are interested in taking the course next year, if the school board approves the instruction contract.

"It's in the plans," she said.

Copyright 2013 - The Daily Star-Journal, Warrensburg, Mo.