By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    4 Reasons Why Medical Device Compliance Matters
    May 22, 2020
    What To Know About The Importance Of Healthcare Marketing
    November 23, 2019
    healthcare courses
    6 Supplemental Courses in Healthcare to Support Your HR Degree
    August 20, 2021
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Community Connection: Training Lay Responders For Disaster
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Community Connection: Training Lay Responders For Disaster
Policy & Law

Community Connection: Training Lay Responders For Disaster

Larry Alton
Last updated: April 14, 2019 11:15 am
Larry Alton
Share
6 Min Read
Community Connection: Training Lay Responders For Disaster
SHARE

 

Contents
Connecting With Our CommunitiesCertifying CERTsTargeted TrainingsCoordinate Broadly

At this moment, the United States is facing multiple natural disasters – fires continue to burn across California, Florence recently flooded the Carolinas, and Puerto Rico still largely lacks power though Hurricane Maria was more than a year ago. These individual disasters can each be directly linked to the accelerating pace of climate change, and they’re straining our capacity to respond. As healthcare professionals, however, we can help bridge this gap by training lay responders in basic emergency response.

Connecting With Our Communities

Hospitals, EMTs, and even firefighters have always played a role in preparing our communities for disaster. At the Harrington Hospital System in Massachusetts, for example, community members can participate in CPR and AED trainings, learn to identify and respond to a stroke, or take a babysitting class to learn first aid and childcare skills. In many areas, groups even offer naloxone training so that lay responders can revive overdose victims. The fact is, if we’re not helping community members lead safer lives and help each other, we’re not doing out job.

Unlike basic CPR or first aid trainings, though, preparing for a specific disaster requires much more targeted response work, and our programs in this area need an overhaul. Our hospitals need to identify small groups of community members who are willing to step up and act in the face of an emergency. These groups are typically known as Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).

More Read

Medicare Pays to Treat Heart Patients Who Smoke, but Doesn’t Help Them Quit
What Is the Scoop with Medicare?
Online Messaging Can Improve Support Group Relationships
Helping Patients Pay Their Hospital Bills [VIDEO INTERVIEW]
Improving Access To Healthcare In Rural America

Certifying CERTs

The first CERT was created in the 1980s when a group from Los Angeles traveled to Mexico City to do rescue work after a major earthquake killed over 10,000 people; today you can find CERTs responding to emergency situations across the United States. But does your community have one?

If your area doesn’t yet have a CERT program, your hospital group can lead the way in developing such a group and performing the trainings, which offer comprehensive preparation for a range of potential crisis situations. As Willmar, Minnesota police captain Mike Anderson explains, those involved in CERT trainings “learn basic response to major incidents.” Willmar began training their first CERT this fall and, during the nine-week class, will study topics ranging from search and rescue to disaster psychology and fire safety.

Targeted Trainings

The comprehensive nature of CERT training demands the focus of a dedicated group, but there are plenty of other ways to reach community members and enhance their disaster readiness. In fact, training groups in specific tasks can even help take some of the pressure off of CERT teams so they can use their skills where they’re needed most.

One type of training that can be highly beneficial during a disaster addresses bleeding control. Blood loss can kill injured individuals more quickly than they can be treated or transported during serious emergencies, yet few lay individuals know how to handle large wounds. Bleeding control courses teach participants hemorrhage assessment, wound packing, and tourniquet application skills. These skills can help community members stabilize family and neighbors while waiting for first responders to arrive.

Depending on the type of impending emergency and the skills involved, another way that our hospitals can help prepare community members is simply by making important information available online at all times. Maintain an active blog with emergency preparedness information, such as what items should be in a disaster kit, how individuals with certain conditions (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) should prepare for a power outage or evacuation, or how to talk to children about traumatic events. It may seem simple, but it you think back on the period following 9/11, people learned countless emergency preparedness skills, such as how to seal off their home during a dirty bomb attack, from reading handouts on the topic.

Finally, hospitals should consider offering lay counseling training to community members, as disasters often put a strain on social services and psychological care providers for months or even years. A year after Hurricane Harvey, for example, many people continue to demonstrate traumatic stress responses, and Texas is reaping the benefits of peer-to-peer mental health programs. When processing trauma, talking to a peer can be just as beneficial as speaking with a professional.

Coordinate Broadly

The most important element to community emergency response is coordination. Hospitals need to prepare lay responders to work alongside professionals – to apply their skills, but not get in the way. CERTs are generally well-prepared to do this, but those individuals with less comprehensive training may struggle to find their footing. CERTs and pre-identified individuals with specific training skills should be equipped with telehealth tools or other communication tech so that they can identify the areas of greatest need.

Community members can be central participants in disaster response, not just victims of disasters, but as experienced first responders our hospitals need to take a leading role in that process. Because, when disaster strikes, we can’t take on all the work on our own. Care is always a collaborative process.

Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

mammogram
DiagnosticsFinanceHealth ReformHospital AdministrationPolicy & LawPublic HealthSpecialties

When Is a Mammogram Not a Mammogram?

May 25, 2013

Deleted

October 5, 2014

Innovation without Diligence Negatively Impacts Healthcare Access

January 4, 2012

I Am the Patient Experience!

April 27, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?