PNC and Community Volunteers Complete CERT Training

WESTVILLE – Four Purdue University North Central staff members were among the 19 volunteers who recently completed their Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. This is the seventh LaPorte County CERT training session.

In June of 2004 a team was established at PNC, the first and only university CERT group in Indiana. The PNC CERT group is composed of faculty, staff and administrators.

These CERT volunteers will be able to aid the police and other rescue workers should a disaster or emergency strike the campus or community and can assist with basic first aid, light search and rescue, small fire suppression and disaster scene organization. While they will not be used in place of the police, they will be able to provide critical support to emergency personnel and give immediate assistance to victims before help arrives.

The group completed a 21-hour training course, led by a five-member team of professionals from the Michigan City Emergency Management Agency, the Michigan City Police Department, the Michigan City Fire Department, and the La Porte City Police Department that culminated in a disaster preparedness drill at the Michigan City Police Department that put the class training to the test.

The drill required CERT volunteers to complete a search and rescue exercise during which they entered a dark building, searched for and solved safety problems, and located, extricated, treated, triaged and transported victims to staging areas. Team members were asked to remember their focus was “to do the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people.”

PNC employees completing the CERT training are: Phyllis Dranger, manager, Continuing Education Programs; Cecilia Kajer, secretary to the dean, College of Business; Janet Knight, academic advisor and Carolyn Roper, assistant professor of Organizational Leadership and Supervision.

Others completing the training are: Carol Abshire, Michigan City; Connie Adams, Michigan City; Kevin G. Brooks, Michigan City; Richard Carlson, Rolling Prairie; Chandra Carney, LaPorte; Sally Lou Croff, LaPorte; J.H. Frazier, Michigan City; Linda Hough, LaPorte; Ben Konowitz, LaPorte; Ken Purse, Michiana Shores; James V. Rosselli, LaPorte; Ronald Stallings, Westville; Robert Wagoner, Michigan City; Donald J. Williams, LaPorte; Harold J Wolf, Michigan City.

Further information about CERT can be obtained by contacting John Jones at (219) 873-1499 or jjones@emichigancity.com.

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