A shared experience from a time investment in our community

A couple of weeks ago, we had an incident in our neighborhood. It confirmed my intuition on how we as citizens should be the first responders to many incidents that happen around us. When I found out about the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program last year, I immediately signed up for the first course. I felt this national program had considerable merit, and I should become part of it. CERT came about as a result of the lack of trained first responders in the community when Hurricane Ike struck our town. This program is not specific to hurricanes. It is for general emergencies. I suggest readers look it up. I will not get into any details here. I am a member of The Woodlands CERT Council, a leadership group consisting of one CERT graduate from each village. This council was elected from within the CERT graduates for one year terms. That team now promotes new classes and organizes promotions of the program. 

This story is about having the right skills, tools and about the confidence needed to use those tools effectively in an emergency situation. Our neighborhood emergency was potentially a devastating one. I went outside on a Saturday afternoon and smelled smoke. That is normal when it is cold, especially on a weekend. However, something about the smell bothered me. Then I went into the house and to the back yard and observed a fire behind our home. I immediately called 911. The grass fire had already been reported. I went to assess the situation so I would know what action to take. The fire was subsiding on its own, but I noticed a grass fire about 60 yards away out of control, in the trees and could tell that it was probably going to threaten a neighbor's home. I ran there to find a six-foot or higher flame in two locations,  a back yard fence on fire, several tree stumps on fire and a grass fire moving rapidly in other locations among the trees, pushed by the wind.  My training in CERT taught me to be the first responder. First, were there any people or animals in the home? A neighbor and I assessed that there was no one at home and no pets on the premises. Next we had to put the fire out. I went into the backyard and found a garden hose, turned it on and managed to put out all flames except at one location where the hose would not reach. By now several neighbors had come to help, so I asked one neighbor to get a longer hose, which he did. I connected it and started dowsing the remainder of the fire with water. By the time the fire department arrived, there were only a few small  flames still burning. Then my job was finished, so I thought. I remained on the site and provided them with a rake. They made sure the fire would not return to threaten the home again later in the day. I was instructed to make sure the other fires were under control. So I went and watered them down, making sure no embers remained to rekindle a fire.

First responders can and will apply their training to emergency situations. This may have been rather simple, but many people do not feel comfortable entering a neighbors yard and will not respond themselves, just wait for the professionals. When you can enter an emergency situation with confidence because of your hands-on training, you get the job done without hesitation. You even direct the response. Neighbors worked as a team, and we got the job done. People tell me that I make real commitments. That is true. I like to think my involvement is real. 

I definitely felt good about my ability to help, but that is not why I tell this story. I tell it because I want others to take the training and learn to be ready to respond and protect their family and neighbor's possessions in such unexpected situations. This is the reality of life. We cannot depend on others to take action before we do. We cannot throw money at the solutions and expect everything to be better. For us in this neighborhood, a fire response averages 8 minutes. In 8 minutes, a home can be severely damaged by fire and lives lost. That is why I insisted that we build the new fire station here in Indian Springs as soon as possible, not wait until after the Creekside Village fire station was built.  Fortunately in this event, the wind was not strong, the ground was wet, the back yard was clean and did not have much fire kindling, and there was a first responder in the vicinity. It could have been the fall, with dead trees, leaves everywhere, dry and windy. I have to say also that the Parks Department arrived before the fire department and managed to put out out the embers of two other fires behind our homes. I am grateful for the ranger being there so quickly. I never had a chance to thank him, as he left while I was working on the larger fire. He did not go unnoticed.  

Watch what people say about spending priorities. Some say that the fire department costs are excessive and that policing requires a great more funding. I say that our first priority is the fire department and second is our police department. Our fire department operations may not be cost optimized yet, that is almost always the case in growth, but we do have the best. We must have our new stations built now. I will soon share my thoughts on what needs to be done for police protection and may bring forward some ideas for the fire department as well. 

Don't you want a first responder on your street?