Mid America TEEN CERT receives national award
November 13, 2011
St. Charles County, MO
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced that the Mid America Teen Community Emergency Response Team (TEEN CERT) program, based out of St. Charles County, was voted runner-up for the 2011 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Award in “Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness”. The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago came in first for the award.
Mid America was named by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) this past January as one of the top three emergency response and preparedness programs in the nation for its’ productivity and initiatives in the area of youth preparedness, and the program is being highlighted in an upcoming FEMA-produced how-to guide for “Implementing a Youth Preparedness Program”. In April, one of the program’s graduates was thrust into the national spotlight after using the skills that she had learned taking the TEEN CERT course in saving an elderly neighbor from a house fire.
With the help of paramedics, firefighters, doctors, and other qualified instructors and professional, the program teaches medical, fire safety, search and rescue. The program is proud to have a gifted counselor from the Crider Center who teaches the psychological portion to the students. The specialized training provides students the skills necessary to perform under pressure by developing multi-functional response teams that supplement community emergency services during major disasters.
With more than 370 members, the Mid America TEEN CERT program is made up entirely of volunteer citizens and continues to grow as many church groups, school districts, other counties, special needs groups and other groups and organizations are requesting the training. In addition, the program’s director is a board member on an international joint commission to improve communications in emergencies between first responders and special needs patients and victims. Mid America also participates in the Red Cross ‘Ready-Rating’ program and has adopted two roadways for picking up trash in Missouri’s ‘Adopt-A-Highway’ program and participates in several other non-emergency community projects.
The main goal of the TEEN CERT program is to help citizens learn how to prepare for and respond to others in need, and do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves or others in unnecessary danger. Students learn to manage utilities and put out small fires, and treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock during the mandatory 22-hours of training. TEEN CERT also trains students how to provide basic medical aid, search for and rescue victims safely, organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.
The Mid America program does not qualify for state funding or grants because the program is not associated with any particular city or municipality, but rather trains students around the region in St. Charles, St. Louis, Warren, Jefferson and Lincoln counties in Missouri (as well as Monroe and St. Clair counties in Illinois). That said, the program is free of charge to anyone wanting the training and operates entirely without a budget or funding.
The program is open to anyone 12 years and older, including adults. It is designed around the adult CERT course, but includes a great deal more information and emphasis on team building, trust and emotional health as well as a unit on special needs considerations. For information about TEEN CERT, please contact Mark Rosenblum at mark.rosenblum@juno.com or visit www.teencert.org.
From TEEN CERT
Copyright 2011 Neighbors About Town
