Emergency Preparedness Students Put to the Test

Academy graduates have the basic skills to make their homes and their families better prepared for emergencies; and know how to help their community prepare for and deal with larger emergencies.

This was only a test.  However, if you didn’t know better, it may have looked like the scene of an 8.1 earthquake.

Rancho Santa Margarita recently held a mock disaster drill as part of the South Orange County Community Preparedness Academy (CEPA).  The drill was organized to test students on what they had learned during the seven-week program. The scene at Fire Station 45 was incredibly realistic with dozens of injured victims with makeup to resemble burns, cuts and lacerations, calling for help.  Many of them “trapped” under furniture following the fictitious earthquake.

Offered by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Fire Authority, Medix Ambulance Services, American Red Cross, Santa Margarita Water District and Mission Hospital, the Academy teaches local residents how to take responsibility for their safety.

The goal is to provide residents with enough information and skills to help sustain them for 72 hours without any other local emergency response team assistance in the event of a large-scale emergency or disaster.

“Rancho Santa Margarita and communities throughout South Orange County are vulnerable to fire and earthquake emergencies,” explains Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief Scott Brown.  “The Academy is especially critical for residents living in rural canyon communities, such as Rancho Santa Margarita.”

During the seven-week series, class participants learned how to perform CPR, provide basic first aid and operate a defibrillator.  They also learned basic home search and rescue operations, how to access the emergency radio system and operate a home fire extinguisher.

To learn more about the Academy or find out when the next program will be offered in your area, contact Orange County Fire Authority Battalion Chief, Scott Brown at scottbrown@ocfa.org.