More than emergencies: Inside Stillwater CERT

Stillwater Community Emergency Response Team volunteers spend the year training, practicing and educating residents so they are better prepared to help themselves, their families, neighbors and professional emergency responders when emergencies occur.

On a Wednesday evening in July, Stillwater CERT members headed into a wooded area for a search-and-rescue exercise. There was no missing person and no emergency underway. That was precisely the point.

The exercise allowed volunteers to practice skills that are difficult to duplicate in a classroom, including communication, teamwork and adapting when plans change.

Stillwater CERT is made up of local residents trained to prepare for emergencies, assist family and neighbors, and support professional responders when additional help is needed. They are not substitutes for firefighters, police officers or emergency medical personnel, but trained volunteers who can assist when circumstances call for it.

“We have such a great variety of volunteers with lots of different skill sets,” said Program Coordinator Maureen Tsadilas.

Throughout the year, members train in first aid, CPR and AED use, fire safety, light search and rescue, Stop the Bleed, ice rescue and disaster shelter setup. The group also offers safety programs and educational seminars for residents.

Neil Hubbard said CERT training emphasizes taking care of yourself first, followed by family members and neighbors, before responding to a larger community need. Programs such as Stop the Bleed and Until Help Arrives can provide residents with skills to use during the critical minutes before professional responders arrive.

The training also extends beyond emergencies. Peggy Askew and her son, Tristan, who is still in high school, have found that CERT skills are useful in everyday life and when helping their family.

Their involvement reflects the diversity of the organization. Members come from different generations and backgrounds, bringing different skills and experiences to the team.

Carol Kouba described CERT as bringing together “a variety of people from different backgrounds who combine their particular talents” to help their communities. Connie O’Grady said the organization brings neighbors of different ages and walks of life together to train, serve the community and build friendships.

Those relationships become especially important during field exercises.

During the July search-and-rescue drill, communication was critical. Members had different responsibilities, but each depended on information moving through the team. A drone scheduled for the search could not establish the GPS connection needed to fly, turning the equipment problem into another training opportunity.

CERT member Vincent Troiano said the experience reinforced the value of field exercises.

“There’s a big difference between learning about it in the classroom and actually doing it in the field,” he said.

Equipment can fail, conditions can change and communication can become difficult. Training gives volunteers an opportunity to encounter those challenges before facing them during a real emergency.

Susan Dell joined CERT after looking for a way to volunteer locally. She said the organization provides an opportunity to contribute while maintaining a busy schedule and can assist local fire and ambulance personnel when emergency resources are stretched.

“CERT is a great way for me to contribute to the community that I love while still having time for the rest of my life,” Dell said.

For Marcia Bradley, working with Stillwater CERT and other communities “has been a highlight of my life.”

Much of CERT’s work takes place when there is no emergency at all — during training exercises, first-aid and CPR sessions, safety programs and preparedness seminars.

Its purpose is not to predict when the next storm, accident or community emergency will occur. It is to be better prepared when it does.

For Tsadilas and the volunteers who make up the team, that preparation continues throughout the year — one training session, one exercise and one better-prepared neighbor at a time.