Clackamas Education Service District’s safety team hosted a wide area search training created by Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service, an internationally recognized leader in emergency response training, on our Sunnybrook campus July 12 through 14.
The three-day training is designed to teach practical search methods and skills for searching wide areas for persons needing aid in critical situations like natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Strategies for preparedness and response, search management and planning, mapping, search strategies and skills, communication, and team management were covered.
Participants completed challenging field exercises practicing what they learned, including an in-depth activity where participants role-played responding to an incident from start to finish.
“I learned how to gather untrained staff and quickly organize them into a working team for expedient grid searches,” reports Mark Dodge, Clackamas ESD safety compliance specialist. “And learning how to place appropriate markings for other search crews was like learning a whole new language!”
Select Clackamas County school employees attended alongside emergency responders, emergency managers and law enforcement personnel from across the state. In addition to sharpening wide area search skills, the training was a valuable opportunity for school employees and emergency responders to practice working together.
“Now, if there is an emergency, school employees and emergency responders have experience working together as a team and are better prepared to respond,” notes Dan Kraus, Clackamas ESD emergency operations/school safety specialist.
The forest fires that affected our community in 2020 remind us that emergencies could happen close to home, and being prepared can save lives.
“The wide area search class that we recently attended at Clackamas Education Service District supports our ongoing efforts in Benton County with planning, responding and recovering from disasters,” said John Pegg, public health preparedness and emergency response coordinator for Benton County. “The knowledge we gained will enhance our ability to coordinate an effective response in the event of a catastrophic disaster.”
The wide area search training, and all the safety training, consultation and assistance we provide to our 10 partner school districts and districts throughout northwest Oregon, are funded through the federal Grants to States for Emergency Management (GSEM) Grant Program.
