On Thursday night, friends, family and fellow CERT volunteers gathered at the Coventry Town Hall to celebrate the graduation of the newest Coventry Emergency Response Team members. The nine-member group, instructed by CCFD Captain Bill Hall, recently completed their nine-week Basic Training program that included lessons ranging from how to extinguish fires, disaster psychology and triage to CPR certification and first aid. The ceremony featured guest speaker Theresa C. Murray, Rhode Island Emergency Management Executive Director, who expressed her pride in seeing so many people volunteer to…

  On Wednesday, July 11, Coventry CERT members gathered at the historical cemetery on Potter Street to give it some much needed TLC.Members took turns raking, picking up trash, gardening and painting the rusted railing that surrounds the cemetery. They also recorded which headstones need to be repositioned or repaired, tasks that will require a return trip and some equipment for the heavy lifting.Coventry CERT is the first organization to adopt a cemetery through the Pawtuxet Valley Preservation and Historical Society.

Just 10 days after Coventry's first CERT team graduated their basic training, they will be utilizing some of the skills they learned over the nine weeks of classes. The team was activated on Friday afternoon. In preparation for Hurricane Irene that is now scheduled to reach New England on Sunday morning, a RI Red Cross shelter has been established at Coventry High School, sfaffed with emergency officials, human services officials, volunteers and CERT members. The shelter will open to the public (everyone is welcome on an emergency basis, not only Coventry residents), at 12 p.m. on Saturday …

Central Coventry Fire Captain Bill Hall began the graduation ceremony on Wednesday night by acknowledging the team members who spent every Wednesday night for nine weeks learning everything from how to extinguish fires, disaster psychology and triage to CPR certification and first aid. Police Chief Bryan Volpe thanked Hall for taking the time and effort to design a basic training curriculum and train the members. He also gave thanks and congratulations to the graduates, stating "It takes a very special kind of person to sign on to do what you do." Central Coventry Fire Chief Robert Seltzer …

At the ninth and final Coventry CERT Basic Training class on Wednesday night, Central Coventry Fire Captain Bill Hall went over the numerous types of victim extrication and removal methods that members may need to utilize in an emergency situation. Some (but certainly not all) of the methods include: Lift and Carry/Cradle Pack Strap Carry Chair Carry Log Rolling Blanket Drag Seat Lift and Carry The team was taught how to decide which method to use based on certain factors such as stability of environment, number of rescuers available, strength and ability of rescuers and condition of the …

At Wednesday's CERT training, the final one before the team demonstrates what they have learned in a simulated disaster, members were instructed on how to perform an event Sizeup that involved assessing the situation and determining a safe action plan using a nine-step model: 1.) Gather facts 2.) Assess damage 3.) Consider probabilities 4.) Assess your situation 5.) Establish priorities 6.) Make decisions 7.) Develop a plan of action 8.) Take action 9.) Evaluate progress The goals of a Search and Rescue are to rescue the greatest amount of people in the shortest amount of time, get the …

After reviewing some of the triage points learned two weeks ago, the class continued onto the second part of their Disaster Medical Operations training. Maintaining proper hygiene (Washing hands, wearing gloves, masks and goggles and keeping dressings sterile. Maintaining proper sanitation (Controlling the disposal of soiled gloves and dressings, marking medical waste for proper disposal and burying human waste and mark for later cleanup.) Purifying water {if necessary} (Eight drops of bleach per gallon of water/16 drops per gallon if water is cloudy or dirty.) Preventing the spread of …

On Wednesday night, Central Coventry Fire District Lt. Mike DeCesare and firefighter/CPR instructor Alex Potts trained the CERT team on how to correctly perform CPR. According to DeCesare, CPR instructors swore by the traditional "ABC" method - standing for Airway, Breathing and Circulation. However after decades of studies and real-world experience, the experts have now realized that the most effective way to deliver CPR to a victim is "CAB" (Circulation, Airway and Breathing.) Responders should now begin with the "compression" step on a victim's chest before anything else. This will ensure …

During its fifth meeting, the Coventry CERT team studied the unit; "Terrorism and CERT." The unit taught members how to define terrorism and the goals of terrorists, how targets are chosen and how to prepare in the case of a situation. Central Coventry Fire Captain Bill Hall went over the different types of terrorists, including foreign (Osama bin Laden) or homegrown (Timothy McVeigh.) The class also discussed how terrorists choose their targets based on symbolism or the ability to disrupt vital services and resources. Potential targets that were mentioned included seats of government, key …

At the Coventry CERT team's fourth class, Central Coventry Fire Capt. Bill Hall discussed the Disaster Psychology unit, which focuses on the psychological impact of a disaster on rescuers and victims and how to provide "psychological first aid." The unit allowed members to better understand certain components of psychological first aid, including disaster trauma, team and individual well-being and how to work and communicate with victims and survivors of tragedies. A major point Hall impressed upon the class was the importance of self-preservation and the logic that CERT members are not …

Understanding the operation and complexities involved with emergency shelters was the principal topic for the third CERT training session on June 15th. Guest speaker, Pat Shurtleff, Director of Human Services for the town of Coventry explained that numerous public safety agencies, vendors, and professionals along with volunteer staff continually plan and work to ensure that in the event of an emergency such as floods or hurricanes, residents who must evacuate their residence will be provided with safe and secure temporary housing. Of course the nature of any emergency event which could …

At Wednesday's meeting of the CERT Basic Training program, members learned important aspects of fire safety and utility controls. The topics discussed include: Fire Chemistry: How fires occur, what needs to be present for a fire to exist, classes of fire and choosing the correct means to extinguish each type of fire. Fire and Utility Hazards: Potential hazards found in the home and workplace as well as fire prevention strategies. Sizeup Considerations: How to gather information and evaluate scenes as well as assess resources and determine a course of action. Fire Suppression: How to decide if…

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) held its first basic training session on Wednesday night in the Coventry Police Training Room at the Town Hall Annex. Central Coventry Fire District Captain and CERT Coordinator Bill Hall instructed the group of 13 members during the class that included information on potential disaster scenarios and their impact on the community, home and workplace, disaster preparedness and infrastructure impact, among other topics. The participants began the class with a group exercise to promote the use of planning, teamwork, ideas, logistics, construction and …