The recent earthquake in Nepal has led to increased interest in disaster preparation here at home, according to Lt. Erica Arteseros, NERT Program Coordinator for the San Francisco Fire Department.
And there's plenty of room available in the next round of emergency training classes starting May 14th in the Financial District at Charles Schwab, 215 Fremont St. There's space for up to 80 people, and as of the end of April, classes were only half full. They'll run 8:30–4:30p.m. May 14th, 21st and 28th, and you can enroll online. (An Upper Haight training series begins tonight, and will run in six installments instead of the FiDi series' three all-day sessions.)
NERT, or Neighborhood Emergency Response Training, teaches the citizens of San Francisco to be self sufficient in a major disaster situation by developing multi-functional teams cross-trained in basic emergency skills. “I like to tell people that it’s free and it’s fun and our fire fighters teach it," Lt. Arteseros said. Classes are taught in locations around the city on an ongoing basis, and the FiDi sessions are ideal for those who work in the area as well as nearby residents.
"It’s an area where we could anticipate a high level of injury" if a disaster strikes, Lt. Arteseros said, because of the density. "People will definitely be able to make a difference in their coworkers' lives or their neighbors' lives." Each region has a gathering point for NERTs if an emergency were to occur, and the FiDi needs a neighborhood command coordinator. "I’d like to put out a plea that that’s what we’re looking for in that area" she added. The gathering point for a command center would be at Sansome and Merchant streets.
NERT training can also help out in instances that aren't major tragedies, Lt. Arteseros said. Someone recently posted to the SFFD NERT Facebook page, "Today while I was working someone ran in to ask for help. The laundromat next door had caught on fire. Due to my Sffd Nert training I was able effectively put out the fire." Lt. Arteseros said, "Things like that make me feel like it’s not just earthquake training."
Since starting in 1990 in response to the Loma Prieta quake, more than 26,000 people have been NERT trained, Lt. Arteseros said, but they're "under-participating" by not going to training drills. "We need more folks," she said.
