Search And Rescue

Just returned from Traverse City a while ago. I was there for a 2 day training for CERT. I think there were about 120 CERT members there from our region. I had a great time and learned a lot.

I laughed when I saw this sign. If we are there learning to do serious search and rescue, do we really need signs to help us find our classroom???


Our instructors (pictured here) were from Michigan's Dept. of Corrections and are well-trained in searching for escapees. Besides classroom study, we had practicals and exercises in search & rescue in buildings and woods, also training in using compasses and GPS units/coordinates. This was a full-scale operation with fire department, Salvation Army (food to site), ambulances, sheriff department and canines, ham radio operators, the instructors, and of course the CERT teams. I had never realized before how important ham radio operators are. In times of power outages and disasters, when nothing else works, including cell phone systems overloaded, the ham radios are the only available form of communication.

This chef was responsible for keeping us well-fed. (I feel like a wart toad.)

Each CERT member attending received one of these T-shirts. (This is the back)