I had my first day of CERT Training today and highly recommend this class.  If there is a single ounce of "prepper" in your body, there really is no reason not to take this (FREE) class.

Highlights of some things I learned in class today:

- Emergency medical training on stopping severe bleeding and handling hypobolemic shock
- Mass disaster response and survivor triage
- Conducting light search and rescue operations
- Organizing of emergency response volunteers
- Handling PTSD and survivor psychology
- CERT response to terror incidents and hazmat situations

If you want to see the actual manual, it is viewable online.
http://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/27403

The volunteer instructors were really good. Next week is another classroom day and the following week is our final exam and hands-on disaster simulation. 

For those who want to be prepared for themselves, their families and their neighborhood, it doesn't get any more "community involvement" than this.

Do yourself a favor and sign up for the class if you haven't done so before!  It is time very well spent.

The instructor in the class said: "In a disaster situation, don't expect City and County of Honolulu to come help you right away.  They might not be able to.  Emergency preparedness is an individual responsibility.  How come you're not prepared?"

Interested in this (next round) can we sign up ourselves or do we need to be part of a group?

you can sign up yourself.  Theres another thread with all the info in it.  We were trying to have as much people as possible to have a 2a group, but im sure they stick whoever signs up in a class together.

I believe the thread is in the prepardness/survival section or the events section.  it has all the contact info and everything.  Also, i believe this was the last class of the year.

Yes you can just sign up by yourself.  For the November classes, I signed up by myself and was put in a group with 19 other people I don't know. Got to know some of them and they're cool folks.

To sign up, contact Jeff Spencer as listed in the OP.

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Yes -- Jeff can hold a special set of classes for you if you have a group with 8 or more people. They would even come to where you are and hold the class at your office if you're a business.

Had the 2nd day of CERT class today.

Highlights were:
1. Disaster preparedness.
2. Hazards: Earthquakes - what to do before, during, after
3. Hazards: Floods - what to do before, during, after
4. Hazards: Hurricane - what to do before, during, after
5. Hazards: Thunderstorms - what to do before, during, after
6. Hazards: Tsunami - what to do before, during, after
7. Fire Safety

Next week is our hands-on class where we practice what we learned in a simulated disaster situation.

Oahu CERT Class schedules for 2014:

Jan: 11, 18, 25 (Sat)
Feb: 9, 16, 23 (Sun)
Mar: 15, 22, 29 (Sat)
May: 3, 10, 17 (Sat)
Jun: 7, 14, 21 (Sat)
Aug: 17, 24, 31 (Sun)
Sep: 13, 20, 27 (Sat)
Oct: 11, 18, 25 (Sat)
Nov: 9, 16, 23 (Sun)

Contact jspencer1 at honolulu dot gov to sign up. 

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How was the final day?

i was gonna ask him that, but i remembered he told me via pm earlier that it's next sunday

Sorry, macsak.  I had my dates wrong.

I stayed home yesterday with a flu.    Couldn't kick it even after 2 days of bed rest.

So I'm gonna be taking day 3 of CERT on January 2014.

Sorry, macsak.  I had my dates wrong.

I stayed home yesterday with a flu.    Couldn't kick it even after 2 days of bed rest.

So I'm gonna be taking day 3 of CERT on January 2014.

so, if you don't have to go to CERT on the 31st, now you can sneak off to the range day on the 30th

No can do... Watching my son this Saturday as my wife has something scheduled.  Maybe if it's allowed and if he's not too scared, I'll take him and we can both watch!

No can do... Watching my son this Saturday as my wife has something scheduled.  Maybe if it's allowed and if he's not too scared, I'll take him and we can both watch!

watching is fine
i have extra eyes and ears if you need to borrow

Thanks. I got a set for him too.

Shoots!  Looks like I will have a father-son time at KH with him this Saturday for part of the day. I better prep him so he won't get too scared since he's kind of sensitive to loud noises.

Thanks. I got a set for him too.

Shoots!  Looks like I will have a father-son time at KH with him this Saturday for part of the day. I better prep him so he won't get too scared since he's kind of sensitive to loud noises.

awesome!
parking may be tight
MPPL has a match that day too

plugs and earmuffs work REALLY good

I just finished my CERT day 3 today and am certified. Awesome class. I highly recommend this program.

Good to hear! I started the program over here on BI but after the first class I was completely turned off. The instructor was bored and made it sound like the most we can realistically end up helping with will be traffic control, in order to free up the pro's to do the real work.

But i'm sure the instructors as well as the application of CERT is different on Oahu. What are your thoughts?

Yes we had an awesome team of instructors who took their work seriously and professionally. Jeff said that as instructors, they would feel bad if one of the guys they trained got hurt in a real crisis. The instructors emphasized team safety above all else and tried their best to teach and prepare us.  They would get mad at us and restart the exercise when we were doing things really wrong.

Not sure how to respond about the BI instructors -- could it be that they are trying to weed out the guys who are really wanting to volunteer vs in it for the wrong reasons?  Not really sure.

Come to find out Jeff Spencer who oversees the program is an alum of my alma mater and we had classes together in high school.  Long story short I asked about putting together an exclusive class.  He said that as long as instructors were available and willing that it is doable as they have done it in the past.  The minimum people we would need is 8.  Anyone here interested?  I was going to ask some of the instructors I oversee at work if they would like to participate and I believe my wife was going to ask the teachers at her school to see if anyone there was interested.