If a Hurricane Strikes, Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT Members Are Ready

If a tornado has struck St. Andrew's United Methodist Church in Brandon on Jan. 14, the church would have been in good hands.

Dozens of members of Community Emergency Response Teams from throughout the county gathered at the church at 3315 Bryan Rd. for disaster exercises organized by the Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT, headed by Don Maidlow.

Led by public safety and emergency response experts, the exercises were intended to prepare CERT members for the real deal, an F4 tornado or other catastrophe.

Allison Livingston of the Temple Terrace CERT was among those who attended the exercise to learn more about her mission as a civilian emergency responder.

"I became interested after seeing how the hurricanes devastated Louisiana," said Livingston. "I do this just because I love helping others out."

Molly Blanton, a member of the Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT, signed up after Maidlow made an announcement about CERT at her church, St. Andrew's United Methodist.

Blanton is district executive for the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America and said membership in CERT lines up with the mottos of Boy Scouting to "be prepared" and to "do a good turn daily."

"Today's training is a neat opportunity because it's a training exercise, like a real-life classroom situation," said Blanton. "We're learning things like site assessment when you first reach the scene of a disaster, how to assess damage, structural integrity and look for downed wires."

If a CERT member is the first person on the scene of a disaster, said Marcus Martin of Hillsborough County Emergency Management, he would conduct an assessment and then communicate the conditions to the professionals.

"The most important thing for the CERT members to do is to note where the utilities are, note the damage and then sit there and wait for the professionals to arrive," said Martin.

With member of the Brandon High School Army JROTC and Girl Scout Troop 867 posing as injured residents, the CERT members also practiced searching darkened rooms and rescuing the victims.

"They learn to do what we can for the victims and then hand them off to the professionals," said Jim Gary, a member of St. Andrew's and a retired division chief for Tampa Fire Rescue.

Gary was on hand to show CERT members how to assess victims for injuries and the proper way to lift and carry them.

"I think this is a great program because it gets the community involved," said Gary. "There may come a day when we have a disaster and these CERT members may represent the only authority on the scene."

Also on hand was Hillsborough County Fire Rescue medic Toni Singleton who reviewed triaging victims with the CERT members. Red, yellow and green tarps were spread on the ground, awaiting potential victims.

"Red is for those who need immediate treatment; yellow is for those with nonlife-threatening injuries and green is for the walking wounded," said Singleton. "I'm also showing them how to deal with shock and how to stabilize fractures."

Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT member Kenneth Partee said he got involved because he's worked in the health and safety field for 25 years.

"This is in keeping with what I do," he said. "I investigate accidents and injuries. CERT is a good opportunity to help someone else in need during a disaster."

Maidlow said he hopes this is the first of many exercises.

The Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT was formed in June. The Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT is among 93 teams in Florida and 3,600 in the United States. The program was established through the Homeland Security Act following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"We receive no funding to assist us in purchasing supplies or equipment, other than grants or monetary donations from our local business community," said Maidlow, noting that the group obtained its nonprofit tax-exempt status Oct. 14.

Maidlow also added that the Bloomingdale-Riverview team is the only one in the county that is not operating as part of a homeowner's association.

The Bloomingdale-Riverview CERT covers an area that spans east to Lithia-Pinecrest Road, west to U.S. 301, north to Lumsden Road and south to FishHawk/Boyette roads.

Maidlow said the team is currently looking for more volunteers as well as donations to purchase a triage kit, disaster kit and other necessary supplies. Right now the team has 28 active members.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the CERT's equipment needs, become a team member or have Maidlow speak to a group can contact him at riverviewcert@gmail.com or call Maidlow at 813-741-1328.