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Citizens get involved with emergency responses
(by Sali McSherry - February 25, 2009)
Citizens get involved with emergency responses
By SALI McSHERRY
A little thing like a snowstorm didn't stop members of the Pepper Pike municipal emergency-response corps from meeting last week. The team has over 50 active members.
Now, Moreland Hills, led by police officer Caroline Takla, is "taking a page from Pepper Pike's book," Mayor Susan C. Renda said last week. The village is hosting an organizational meeting today (Feb. 26) to form its own emergency-response team.
The Pepper Pike team meets on the third Thursday of every month. Member David Sheinbart said one of the reasons why the team is so successful is members have their hearts in the right place. The strong relationship with the Pepper Pike Fire Department is a big plus, he said.
"We make it worthwhile" and interesting by hosting speakers, participating in emergency preparedness drills, hosting dinners and collaborating with other groups, he said.
Mr. Sheinbart said they stress the need for community service and how emergency preparedness benefits the individual, the family and the community. "It's a great group of people," he said.
In addition to the basic 10-hour Federal Emergency Management Agency emergency-response training, team members achieved proficiency in cardiopulmonary and basic first aid, terrorism awareness and prevention and incident command training.
Fire Chief Thomas Hartman and firefighter Thomas Majeski performed live radio training and simulated an incident command station at Orange schools to locate a victim.
Last year, team members learned about Skywarn, a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and communities that is focused on storm spotters who report weather conditions.
One of the primary functions of the team is to identify potential emergency shelters in advance and establish a relationship before any crisis.
The group identified, met and toured the following shelter sites last year: Garfield Memorial Church, Gross Schechter School, Brady Middle School, Ursuline College and Ratner School, according to Mr. Hartman's right-hand woman, Patty Melaragno.
Six members of the team recruited 20 students and staff to join Ursuline College's newly formed emergency-response team at the college's health and wellness day in January.
The team has provided assistance to Orange schools for its new student emergency response team based on the community-emergency-response-team concept. That team was started last spring. Over 20 students age 15 and older have joined, and the Pepper Pike team is helping to develop the program and mentor the group, Mr. Hartman said.
Last year, the teams held a joint drill with hands-on exercises on the fire hose and pump operations. The team members also learned about basic fire extinguishing.
Thirteen of the municipal emergency-response corps' medical professionals also have joined a local medical reserve corps. They are basic trauma life-support trained and certified as Cuyahoga County medical corps team members. That gives them additional, medically relevant volunteer opportunities and training in Greater Cleveland.
There are about 12 events annually that one can participate in, including Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure, Multiple Sclerosis Walk of Cleveland and the MS Pedal to the Point. Dr. Paula Schaffer-Polakof leads this division of the team, Mrs. Melaragno said.
The group has developed a deployment sheet for city department heads to use when the team's services are needed, she said. For example, the police department needed the team's assistance in a June parade of over 1,000 children. Six of the members participated and were given various assignments, which included Mr. Sheinbart, who directed the parade into Ratner School "single-handedly, according to the report.
Pepper Pike sponsored a steak dinner and training in August. The goal was to build rapport with the fire department and other city employees. The intention was to enhance the capabilities of city services by operating as volunteers and simultaneously let trained professionals do what they are trained to do, according to the report.
In October, Orange schools, municipal emergency-response corps members and Ursuline College teamed up for simultaneous evacuation drills for over 1,000 students. Members were assigned various jobs and ran the medical reserves corps unit.
In addition to monthly training meetings, a variety of training-course opportunities are afforded to members via county and local agencies due to their community emergency-response team-trained status, Mrs. Melaragno said.
For example, she said, Chip Kulp, who is the Pepper Pike's team's official community emergency-response team course trainer, attended specialized training courses and received certification from Texas A&M University last year in the following areas: incident management and unified command, threat and risk assessment, emergency medical services operations and planning for weapons of mass destruction.
Team co-chairmen David DeWolf, Mr. Sheinbart and Mr. Hartman participate with the Cuyahoga County citizen corps committee.
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