South Carolina Students Receive Emergency Response Certificates

May 10—Six seniors at the Aiken County Career and Technology Center have been certified as community emergency responders to provide first-response care and services during disasters.

Valerie Castillo, Talesia Dorch, Elizabeth Molina, Amber Moyer, Alyssa Profitt and Briana Spradley, students in Teresa Hayden's health science class, recently completed CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training, a Federal Emergency Management Agency course for disaster preparedness.

The Aiken County Emergency Services, which is building a partnership with the career center, provided tools, equipment and support for the training.

The goal is to create an Aiken County-wide CERT organization.

"These are students who are going on to pursue some kind of health science career, whether it be a nurse, a doctor, a pharmacist or a microbiologist," Hayden said.

"That's why we wanted to include emergency management. It's one more career path for students."

Before the students received their certificates and CERT bags, which contained a hard hat, gloves, goggles, tools and medical supplies, Hayden recognized them for their commitment.

"If there is a disaster in this area, you could potentially be called up to assist," she said.

"I personally, would feel honored to have you work along side me. I trust you. I know that you would do an amazing job."

Dean Hayden, a health and safety technical advisor with Savannah River Remediation, taught the students' 20-hour CERT training class, which ended with a fully simulated disaster scenario.

"We made it look like a tornado had hit, and the students had to respond using what they carried with them and what they found," Hayden said.

CERT training teaches volunteers to respond to family, friends and neighbors in emergency situations until the professionals arrive.

"In a natural disaster, the responders get overtaxed quickly," Hayden said. "We're able to focus on the community and do the most good for the most people given the resources."

Paul Matthews, interim emergency manager for Aiken County, agreed.

"All disasters are local," said Matthews, who helped secure the grant that provided the CERT equipment bags for the students. "First responders are your neighbors or the person with you at that time.

"This is a great opportunity for our community to have people trained at the local level to respond to emergencies and disasters."

A native of Aiken, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter.

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