ROCKPORT -- Knox County Emergency Management Agency and the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross  are teaming up to offer a weekend Disaster Mini-Institute, Oct. 19-21, at Camden Hills Regional High School, in Rockport. The goal is to train more volunteers to respond to local emergencies.

The weekend includes a variety of workshops, from shelter operations to psychological first aid to learning how to be a disaster frontline supervisor.

The training is for the lay citizen who may not have formal training in disaster and emergency work.

"This is for is for John and Jane Q Citizen, who have the desire to give back to the community," said Ray Sisk, director of the Knox County Emergency Management Agency. "It is great for retirees and young folk, in their late teens and early 20s."

To Sisk, the training offers a way for communities to strengthen from within by training their own citizen corps, "a return to local volunteers by imperative," he said.

Knox County EMA, with headquarters in Rockland, coordinates county emergency response when a disaster or emergency incident extends beyond the normal mutual aid boundaries of the affected community, or several communities.

The weekend will represent the largest training program of the year; online registration is ongoing until Oct. 10 at classes.redcross.org. Already, 60 to 70 participants have signed up. Space may be limited in some courses and the Knox County EMA encourages early registration in order to accomodate everyone.

Classes will cover how to provide basic care, comfort and support to relief workers and clients; how to collect and communicate disaster asssessment information; how nurses can learn to apply knowledge and skills to a Red Cross setting; how to manage a shelter -- one workshop will include open a simulation shelter; prepare volunteers to operate a Red Cross emergency response vehicle; provide training of incident command logistics; and become acquainted about mass casualty systems and centers.

In 2012, the Red Cross provided assistance to the distressed after 271 house fires occurred throughout Maine. Red Cross shelter workers are volunteers trained to help in following fires, floods, hurricanes and ice storms.

All courses will be held at the high school, on Route 90 in Rockport, with the exception of Friday’s “Foundations of Disaster Mental Health”, from 1 to 4:30 p.m., which will be held at the Rockport Town Office. GPS-friendly addresses for the training locations will be posted on the EMA website for those unfamiliar with the area.
 

Mini-institute courses

Friday, October 19: Afternoon/Evening Courses
Disaster Services: An Overview (4:30-7:30)
Foundations of Disaster Mental Health (1:00-4:30pm)
Disaster Frontline Supervisor (4:30-7:30pm)

Saturday, October 20:  Morning Session (9am-12pm
Health Services Response Workshop
Shelter Operations (part 1 of 2)
Emergency Response Vehicles: ERV “Ready, Set, Roll” (part 1 of 2)
Client Casework (part 1of 2)
Psychological First Aid
Disaster Assessment Basics

Saturday, October 20:    Afternoon Session (1-4pm)
Emergency Response Vehicles: ERV “Ready, Set, Roll” (part 2 of 2)
Client Casework (part 2 of 2)
Shelter Simulation Workshop (part 2 of 2)
Fundamentals of Disaster Assessment

Sunday, October 21: Morning Session (9am-12pm)
Logistics (Updated 2012)
Mass Casualty Disasters Workshop: FAC/FRC and more! NO Online Registration for..... Mass Casualty Disaster Workshop or FEMA ICS 100 Email rob.eaton@redcross.org to register for these classes.
Psychological First Aid
FEMA Incident Command System 100

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS/PREREQUISITES
Disaster Services Overview:    This is a required initial course for all disaster volunteers in the American Red Cross.

Psychological First Aid: This course prepares volunteers to provide basic care, comfort and support to disaster relief workers and clients. This is a GREAT class for Client Caseworkers, Shelter Operations, Disaster Mental Health and Health Services!

Foundations of Disaster Mental Health: Prepares Licensed Mental health professionals to provide for and respond to the psychological needs of clients and staff before, during and after a disaster. This includes Licensed Clinical Social Workers, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, RN’s with psychiatric nursing background and School guidance counselors. Current license required. Prerequisite: Disaster Services Overview

Disaster Assessment Basics: This course provides a general overview of the tasks performed by the Red Cross Disaster Assessment workers on a relief operation. Prerequisite: Disaster Services Overview

Fundamentals of Disaster Assessment: Participants will learn how to collect and communicate disaster assessment information, learn to identify damage classifications, identify strategies and resources for information and understand the relationship that DA provides in service delivery decisions. Prerequisites: Disaster Assessment Basics, Disaster Services Overview.

Disaster Frontline Supervisor: This course prepares supervisors to lead a team of disaster workers to deliver high quality client services and creating a climate that promotes worker satisfaction. Prerequisite: Disaster Services Overview

Health Services Response Workshop: Course activities provide the participants with materials, forms and activities that will apply their professional knowledge and skills to a Red Cross Setting.    Participants should be Senior Student Nurses, CNA, RN, LPN, LVN, EMT, MD or PA    Prerequisite: Disaster Services Overview

Shelter Operations: This course will prepare volunteers to appropriately work as a team managing the shelter and meeting the needs of those people displaced by the disaster. The second part of this program is the Shelter Simulation Workshop offered in the afternoon session. Prerequisite: Disaster Services Overview

Shelter Simulation Workshop: This workshop provides a hands-on experience as participants actually work together to open a Red Cross Regional Shelter. “Injects” are sure to make it challenging and educational. Prerequisite: Disaster Services Overview, Shelter Operations

Emergency Response Vehicles: ERV Ready, Set, Roll: This course prepares volunteers to operate a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle and its equipment safely and effectively to meet the feeding and service needs of clients affected by disaster. Prerequisites include: Valid driver’s license, Disaster Services Overview, Shelter Operations.

Client Casework: Providing Emergency Assistance: This course trains Red Cross volunteers to provide appropriate assistance to help meet a clients need following disasters including house fires. Prerequisites include: Disaster Services Overview.

Logistics: An Overview : Participants will learn about the skills, knowledge and abilities needed by Logistics volunteers and the different opportunities to be involved with this activity. Prerequisites: Disaster Services Overview

PenBayPilot Editorial Director Lynda Clancy can be reached at lyndaclancy@PenBayPilot.com; 706-6657