WCEPC Offering New Emergency Medical Responder Course for Southern California CERT Members

Los Angeles, CA, March 16, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Southern California CERT team members now have a community resource to go to for advanced first aid training called the Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course. This is a new course for the Los Angeles region CERT teams. The course is designed to take the CERT member from his/her basic first aid training to a more advanced level.

The Emergency Medical Responder course is a 48 hour class that takes the student from basic first aid to being able to provide more advanced care to the sick or injured especially after an earthquake. The basic first aid provider only has 8 hours of training which is a good starting point for some. EMR is a level that puts the responder in the middle of basic first aid and EMT. EMT's must attend a 120 hour training class as mandated by DOT.

West Coast Emergency Preparedness Center is working hard to let CERT members understand that the more they know in addition to their training, they now have the chance to do even more. It is a known fact that after a major earthquake, there will be injuries that need to be addressed. It is estimated that it will take 72 hours or more for professional rescuers to reach the injured and get them over to hospitals or triage centers throughout the city.

CERT teams will be a crucial piece to the overall response capability after a major disaster and they will be able to help ease the load for fire and police.

West Coast Emergency Preparedness Center specializes in disaster preparedness training to citizens, businesses and churches. The center aims to raise awareness on the subject of preparedness especially after the recent Japan earthquake which serves to remind us all that Southern California is in the crosshairs of a major quake.

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