Shoreline Community Emergency Response Team prepares for The Big One

By Patrick Ducey

If you have lived in this area for very long you have heard the message of 'Three Days, Three Ways.  Shoreline is in earthquake territory, and if we get 'The Big One', emergency services will be rapidly overwhelmed.  

The Shoreline Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was created to help local emergency services deal with a disaster.  CERT members have heard the call of Three Days, Three Ways.  They have made their plan, built their kit, and gotten involved.

The planning part is easy.  If you have thought about what you will do after a disaster, you have already started planning.  Building a kit is easy. You probably already have many of the basics, you just need to get them organized and see what more you might need.  The getting involved part is easy, CERT members attended a free class to learn about disaster planning, search and rescue, fire fighting, and medical treatment.  It's better to be prepared because after the disaster, it won't be so easy.

Shoreline CERT is a small agency next to Seattle CERT, and ESCA CERT.  ESCA stands for Emergency Services Coordinating Agency, and they are responsible for emergency planning for 10 local cities, including Lake Forest Park, Edmonds, and Mountlake Terrace.  

On June 2, ESCA ran a training exercise and invited Shoreline CERT to participate.  

The scenario was that a winter storm had caused damage to a building and people were injured.  Emergency Services were overwhelmed, and CERT was called in to assist in rescue and medical treatment.

For a few hours on a Saturday morning we practiced our skills, and worked alongside many of the people who we may be working next to in the event of a real disaster.

Pre Drill Breifing  Photo by Mandy Maher.

CERT members are briefed on the scenario and the expectations of the exercise.

Victim Preparation  Photo by Patrick Ducey

Katelyn Ducey, Althea Suroweic and Ian Ducey prepare to be disaster survivors.

Victim  Photo by Mandy Maher

Ian Ducey waits to be rescued.

Victim Transport  Photo by Mandy Maher

A survivor is transported to a medical treatment area by CERT members.

Medical Treatment  Photo by Mandy Maher

Althea Suroweic is treated by CERT members.

Incident Command Post  Photo by Mandy Maher

The ESCA communication van served as a command post for this exercise.