Rancho Santa Fe to start volunteer emergency team

By: YVETTE URREA - Staff Writer | Saturday, August 21, 2004 8:58 PM PDT ∞

RANCHO SANTA FE ---- The fire department is launching a new citizen emergency response team and needs adult volunteers to get started.

The program would be the area's first Community Emergency Response Team and could be activated to help during or after a large-scale disaster, said Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District spokeswoman Monica Adams. Training will be provided at no cost to volunteers.

"Emergency personnel are stretched thin during large disasters like wildfires, earthquakes and floods," said retired Deputy Fire Chief Dallas Neville Jr., in a news release. Neville is also the program coordinator. "Once trained, CERT members will be able to assist themselves and their neighbors immediately following a disaster, until the professionals arrive," he said.

Fire Chief Erwin Willis said the CERT program is modeled after the Los Angeles Fire Department's program, which has been established in various communities nationwide since 1986. Locally teams are active in Coronado and El Cajon.

In Rancho Santa Fe, program coordinators have added on another training module to address wildfires which makes the program stand out from others.

"Our program will be unique," said Willis, who adds they are trying to get it approved to be used as a model for other communities.

The team members will be trained to deal with wildland fires, structure fires, earthquakes, floods, car accidents, first aid and rescues so that they will be able to help their family and neighbors in an emergency scenario, he said.

The program also includes special training for basic fire suppression and patient triage. Volunteers will learn how to assess search and rescue situations, for example a collapsed building, to determine whether it is safe to go in. They will also learn how to perform the rescue appropriately, Willis said.

The chief said the department has learned from various disasters worldwide that people try to rescue others when emergency officials are not around, and if they are trained they can help, but if they are not they can be killed, Willis said.

Adams said the department needs volunteers who are at least 18 years of age and live or work within the Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District.

Volunteers need to complete 20 hours in six training classes held Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings starting Aug. 28 and ending Oct. 2 at Fire Station 1, 16936 El Fuego in Rancho Santa Fe. At the end of the classes, they will respond to a mock emergency to give them a chance to put their skills into action, Willis said.

The complete schedule is on the fire department's Web site at www.rsf-fire.org.

The program is sponsored by the fire district and classes are taught by Rancho Santa Fe firefighters.

Once the training is successfully completed, volunteers will receive a certificate and a CERT hardhat, vest, gloves and other safety equipment worth about $150 per volunteer. The program cost an estimated $100,000 to start up this year, Willis said.

To volunteer for the CERT program, people can call the district at (858) 756-6049 or download an application online at www.rsf-fire.org.

Contact staff writer Yvette Urrea at (760) 901-4076 or yurrea@nctimes.com.