Fifteen Virgin Gorda residents recently received training that officials said will help them respond in the event of a disaster.
The island’s newly formed Community Emergency Response Team last week met with facilitators from the BVI Red Cross, the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Fire and Rescue Services and the Department of Disaster Management, according to Government Information Services.
The CERT programme is an “all-risk, all-hazard training designed to help persons protect themselves, their family, neighbours and neighbourhood in an emergency situation or in response to a hazard impact,” a GIS press release stated.
The training was held during from 6-9:30 p.m. on weekdays and it culminated with basic fire aid and practical exercises on Saturday.
Deputy DDM Director Evangeline Inniss said the programme “prepares volunteers to handle circumstances until the highly skilled emergency responders arrive.”
Exercises included training in extinguishing small fires, providing basic medical aid, searching for victims, and collecting information for first responders.
The DDM has been managing a volunteer programme since 1995, when the Disaster Auxiliary Corps was introduced.
{fcomment}