[nfb-talk] Emergency response training

Fri Jun 10 07:10:28 UTC 2011

And why shouldn't you be expected to do the same things other 
employees were?  Good for your boss on that score.  Bet some of your 
co-workers were surprised by what blindness didn't stop you from 
doing.  Probably was a good learning experience for them.

I still haven't dropped the word "blind" on them yet, and I don't 
intend to.  The fact is that any situation in which citizen 
responders are likely to be helpful is one in which I WOULD be 
responding, like it or not.  They've got two choices, as I see it:  

1. They can train me as they would anyone else.  I will learn 
everything they teach, work with a buddy when possible, and be 
prepared to assist professional responders by having everything done 
and documented in an efficient manner that allows them to pick up 
where I leave off.

2. They can refuse to train me with some BS excuse.  I will still 
respond when needed, acting on my own best judgment instead of their 
training.  My judgment will be informed by what I learn about their 
training practices and methods on my own, but I won't be functioning 
as part of a team and it might take extra time for professionals to 
pick up where I leave off because I don’t know how to make that 
process nice and simple for them.

Either way, if something happens I’m going to respond.  What anyone 
else thinks about my ability to do so is irrelevant.  I am going to 
look at each situation individually and make my best judgment about 
what either to do or not do based on the individual circumstances of 
that situation.  That must necessarily include things that cannot be 
known in advance and my own physical ability in that specific 
instance.

Which is of course exactly what CERTs are trained to do: Judge the 
individual case based on everything they know, including their own 
ability in the moment.  Doing otherwise places CERTs at risk of 
becoming victims themselves and could potentially deny others the 
benefit of their training, preparation, and hopefully good sense and 
clear head.

Given that, I’d say it’s in the city’s best interest to welcome me to 
the program.  Let’s just hope they see it the same way.  *grin*

Joseph

On Thu, Jun 09, 2011 at 12:15:45PM -0700, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>it sounds like interesting training. When I was doing counseling for 
>the county mental health department I was assigned as part of my job 
>to counsel inmates in the county juvenile hall. While management was 
>aware that I was blind I was required to go through the same 
>orientation process that new hires went through and this included the 
>physical agility tests that were required. I also worked in suicide 
>prevention and did outreach on the streets with homeless mentally ill 
>populations and while it surprised many I was able to do the job 
>successfully even to the extent of finding more clients than my 
>bosses wanted found. good luck with the training.
>Chuck
>----- Original Message ----- From: "T. Joseph Carter" 
><carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2011 12:57 PM
>Subject: [nfb-talk] Emergency response training
>
>
>>I have signed up to take Portland’s NET (Neighborhood Emergency 
>>Team) training this fall.  It is Portland’s response to the 
>>national county-based CERT program.
>>
>>Courses are divided up into eight weeks of training, the last of 
>>which is a 4 hour final exam.  I know that the final exam includes 
>>putting out fires, literally.  NET training is free (as is CERT), 
>>but about halfway through the program you have to supply your own 
>>responder kit, which is generally going to run between $50 and 
>>$200, unless you happen to have certain items already on hand.
>>Here’s an overview of the NET training:
>>
>>Session 1: Disaster Awareness—Earthquakes and Other Disasters; 
>>Home, Neighborhood and Workplace Preparedness
>>
>>Session 2: Utility Control—Gas, Electric and Water; Fire 
>>Extinguishers—Types and Uses; Hazardous Materials
>>
>>Session 3: Disaster Medicine (I); Treating Life-Threatening 
>>Injuries; Medical Triage
>>
>>Session 4: Disaster Medicine (II); Treating Common Injuries; 
>>Setting Up a Medical Treatment Area; Public Health Considerations
>>
>>Session 5: Light Search & Rescue (I); Visual Assessment of Damaged 
>>Buildings; Search Techniques
>>
>>Session 6: Light Search & Rescue (II); Rescue Techniques; Patient 
>>Transport
>>
>>Session 7: Disaster Psychology and Trauma Intervention; NET Team 
>>Management; NETs in Action—Tabletop Exercise
>>
>>Session 8: NET Final Field Exercise (FFE), a four (4) hour hands-on 
>>practical skill drill which could be morning or afternoon.
>>
>>
>>Has anyone here ever taken training like this?  Am I blazing trails 
>>again? Whether I am or not, I registered for this and the people 
>>who are doing the training do not yet know that I am blind.  What 
>>sort of objections am I likely to face, and how should I best 
>>address them?  I know I can learn to do whatever I need to do.  I 
>>cannot say that it will be easy, but I am determined not to be the 
>>guy sitting around waiting for someone to help me if something bad 
>>happens, if you know what I mean.
>>
>>Since the above class titles are not that descriptive in and of 
>>themselves of exactly what kind of things I would be expected to 
>>handle, I’ll describe a typical NET responder kit as being safety 
>>equipment (a reflective vest and hard hat, work gloves with leather 
>>palms, knee pads, safety googles, and a particle filter mask), 
>>flashlight, signal whistle, water/gas wrench, pry bar, utility 
>>cord, duct tape, and a first aid kit. We’re expected to know how to 
>>use, but not carry a fire extinguisher.
>>
>>A "Deluxe" kit adds a Leatherman Kick multitool, ear plugs, a more 
>>serious first aid kit, a roll of masking tape to go along with the 
>>duct tape, several large plastic bags, a permanent marker, a lumber 
>>crayon, water treatment tablets, glowsticks, rain poncho, solar 
>>blanket, and 8 hour glowsticks.
>>
>>Construction site safety gear and tools aside, those who know me 
>>fairly well can tell you that I’ve got most of what’s left on my 
>>person wherever I go.  Boy scout motto and all of that.  Pfft, like 
>>I was ever a scout! *grin*
>>
>>Anyway, advice is welcome.  Comments about my tenuous grip on 
>>sanity will be ignored as redundant information!
>>
>>Joseph
>>
>>
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