Big step...

I just filled out the form volunteering to join the Disaster Response team that my employer is creating to send to NOLA. This does not mean I've joined the team, or even if I was accepted that I would be going. I could end up doing support paperwork from right here in California.

I have been on several ERT teams, both in the corporate world and in the military.

I have been senior 1st aid certified with St John's Ambulance in Australia (40-60 hours),
A Battlefield 1st aid course in the military (40 hours),
One of the corporate ERT teams I was on started with 40 hours of 1st aid,
40 hours of emergency response and had 2 hours of additional training every other week for over a year.
All told I think I may have cracked the 200 hours point.

Unfortunately I am only currently certified for basic 1st aid and CPR (the standard get both in 1 day corporate training.)

On the plus side, I can lift heavy objects, drive small stick shift trucks (panel vans are probably my limit now), manage crowds and lines, and can set up computer networks on the fly.

It's one thing to run into a emergency situation when it occurs, the brain switches into emergency mode and you just do what needs doing. It is very scary to think about it, plan to do it, with thought and a disclaimer in front of it, push that final [Submit] button to say "I'll go."

Big step...

I just filled out the form volunteering to join the Disaster Response team that my employer is creating to send to NOLA. This does not mean I've joined the team, or even if I was accepted that I would be going. I could end up doing support paperwork from right here in California.

I have been on several ERT teams, both in the corporate world and in the military.

I have been senior 1st aid certified with St John's Ambulance in Australia (40-60 hours),
A Battlefield 1st aid course in the military (40 hours),
One of the corporate ERT teams I was on started with 40 hours of 1st aid,
40 hours of emergency response and had 2 hours of additional training every other week for over a year.
All told I think I may have cracked the 200 hours point.

Unfortunately I am only currently certified for basic 1st aid and CPR (the standard get both in 1 day corporate training.)

On the plus side, I can lift heavy objects, drive small stick shift trucks (panel vans are probably my limit now), manage crowds and lines, and can set up computer networks on the fly.

It's one thing to run into a emergency situation when it occurs, the brain switches into emergency mode and you just do what needs doing. It is very scary to think about it, plan to do it, with thought and a disclaimer in front of it, push that final [Submit] button to say "I'll go."