NEMCo Hosts Community Preparedness Workshop

By Pat Ducey – NEMCo CERT Volunteer

On Saturday, July 22, 2023, the Northshore Emergency Management Coalition (NEMCo) held a Community Preparedness Workshop at Fire Station 51 in Kenmore. This three-hour class is part of a program to help citizens in our area become more resilient and better prepared to handle emergencies on their own when first responder resources may be overwhelmed for a week or two after an initial incident.

NEMCo Instructor Dan Singley provides training on the new ‘ACT to Save a Life’ approach to CPR and First Aid

Attendees at the workshop learned about the ACT (Antidote, CPR, Tourniquet) program, which teaches life-saving skills they can do before an ambulance arrives. There was also a presentation on the hazards we face in our community and in our home, as well as the simple yet effective steps citizens can take to prepare for a disaster. Each participant received a Resource Guide and various checklists to provide more detailed guidance to assist them in preparing and handling emergencies in their community. After the classroom portion, participants went out to the fire training ground and did a hands-on exercise highlighting the proper way for putting out a small fire with a fire extinguisher.

NEMCo offers numerous other training courses, including Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, which is a much longer class that goes more in-depth into emergency management and preparedness activities. NEMCo also has a RACES team for those interested in the deployment of amateur radio to support responders during emergencies.

NEMCo Instructors Dan Singley and Robin McKenzie demonstrate the proper application of a tourniquet to workshop attendees

If you missed this opportunity, NEMCo is planning to offer another free Community Preparedness Workshop later in the year. NEMCo is staffed by a full-time Emergency Manager and a corps of volunteers who donate their time to help our community become more prepared to handle themselves in emergencies. If you are interested in learning more about how to prepare for a disaster, visit our website at northshoreemc.org.