by Supt Toby Miller, Southland (email submission)
Nine Southland teens and one advisor were accepted to attend Extreme Youth Leadership (EYL) Training Camp to receive Teen CERT training June 24-28, 2013. Sponsored by the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC), the camp was held at Schreiner University in Kerrville, Texas.
According to Superintendent Miller, this group approached him with a concern about emergency preparedness and asked how they could help the Southland School and Community should a disaster occur. The TEEN CERT Program educates young adults about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. The teen CERT emphasizes being a part of a team to assist first responders during a disaster.
“It seemed like a good fit to address their concerns, so the students submitted their application for admittance and a scholarship for the tuition. Although accepted, they were not chosen to receive the scholarship. This motivated the students even more. They made presentations, had a car wash, a bake sale and asked for donations from various businesses and individuals in an attempt to cover their costs. They came together and made it happen,” Miller said.
The students received the full 20-hour CERT course and were required to do everything an adult CERT student would. During the training, teens practiced skills in first-aid, light search and rescue, emergency decision-making procedures, fire suppression, triage, community preparedness, hazard mitigation, damage assessments, team well-being and more.
The students were provided with course materials, manuals and training backpacks, which included tools, hard hats, safety vets, first-aid kits, flashlights and batteries.
Upon completing this 20-hour course, the students were rewarded with a certification that is federally recognized by FEMA and other disaster organizations. The students now have basic life skills to use in a crisis situation and have the tools to use in planning for or responding to emergencies.
Miller stated “These students truly shined at the camp. During the mock disasters, they always took leadership roles and were actually sought out by other teens at the camp to lead because they knew it would run smoothly if a Southland student was orchestrating the drill.”
The Southland Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), pictured left to right, are Walker Booth, Wyatt Benham, Mallory Arguello, Dallyn Fogerson, Daniela Galindo, Kristin Hill, Hayden Benham, Melinda Hernandez and Maura Arenivar.
