CERT Training - Sort Of.

Community Emergency Response Training.  Eight weeks of first aid, fire safety, search and rescue and emergency preparedness.  Sign Kat up.

I recently had the privilege of attending CERT training at the Spokane Valley Fire Department Training Center.  I made it halfway through – then disaster struck.  Not CERT-ifiable disaster, but disaster nonetheless.  I got sick with the creeping crud, sick to the point where I missed work.  I NEVER MISS WORK.  I’m that girl that shows up sick and infects the entire office, because I CAN’T STAND to admit that I’m less than well.  Anyhow, I missed a CERT session that night, which in and of itself is not tragic.  The next week, however, I was pulled into mandatory overtime about 30 minutes before I was supposed to go home for the day, and ended up working 11 hours.  So, no CERT for 2 weeks in a row.  When one misses 2 sessions, one is not allowed to graduate.  This means our beloved Kat is out.

Our story, therefore, will be a little short, a little sweet, but that’s okay.  Sometimes life happens and we can’t get our blog post done the way we want.  We move onward and upward, do we not?  I will say, I was pretty bummed last week when I realized I wouldn’t graduate.  Thor, who pretty much always knows what to do, gave me a nice embrace and a glass of wine.  That helped.  (Side note, I like white wine, and am accepting donations.  I’m very much a wine connoisseur, however; I prefer the whites that come in bottles with funky labels.)

Without further ado, I present…..

THINGS KAT LEARNED IN CERT TRAINING

1.       Your tax dollars in 1987 were not wasted.  I remember more of my first aid training from the military than I thought I did.

2.       I’m retaining a significant amount of the firefighter exam prep that I’ve been doing all these months.  Go figure.

3.       I need to find out where certain people in that class live, so that in case of an emergency, I can go to their neighborhood and get taken care of.

4.       I truly think that if I didn’t absolutely want to pass out cold at the THOUGHT of blood and possessed upper body strength greater than that of your average 4-year old, I would be a good first responder.

5.       People with no leadership skills get on my nerves.

6.       I have the book knowledge to triage at a disaster scene, but the first injured/dead child I come across, well, it’s all over at that point.  I will lose it.  Even READING about it upset me.

7.       I love you, Fred, but if I ever end up with a broken wrist, I hope you aren’t the one to set it.

8.       On the other hand, if you ever find yourself with a broken ankle, and have 2 sticks and some bandages handy, I can immobilize the hell out of your leg.  Assuming, of course, I don’t pass out.

9.       Firefighters/Paramedics think that some really sick stuff is funny and/or awesome.

10.   I am profoundly grateful to Honeywell for their sizable cash donation to the SVFD which made the class possible.

11.   I have a mindset that is suited to emergency situations.  Always have, always will.  And I like it.

12.   I want more.

So, there you have it.  I have the helmet, the backpack, the safety goggles and the CERT training book, just no diploma.   (Just like college, only I don’t have to pay student loans off for 12 years.)   If there is a natural disaster, and you live in my vicinity, and you don’t care that I’m not official – I’ll take care of you.