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Success Stories
Two Immediates and One Delayed To Go Please
By: Mark L. Mindt, United Tribes Technical College
CERT Participant
It was a crisp October morning
near Bear Butte, near Sturgis, SD. I was on the road with my elderly,
Norwegian neighbor to tour some sights in our great Native Nation. While
looking ahead to spending time near Devils Tower, I came upon a scene,
which made my heart stick in my throat like a big piece of fry bread. A
small pickup truck had rolled over just off the interstate frontage road.
As my car came to a halt, I
quickly came up with a plan. There were already several cars and people
around the accident sight. As I got out of the car I told my neighbor to
meet me near the truck and to bring the cell phone. Within seconds, I was
in my trunk and pulling out a full weeks worth of knowledge and training
neatly tucked into a green CERT duffle bag. This knowledge and training
was completed the previous day, as I became CERT certified by Barb Schmitt
at United Tribes Technical College.
As I raced toward the scene,
emotions washed over me: fear, sadness, confusion, and, oddly enough,
happiness. Fear for what I might find at the truck, sadness for the
people involved in such an accident, confusion for who might be involved
and who had already been contacted and finally I was somewhat happy. Not
for the actual incident, but I was happy that I felt more prepared and
confident of what I would face in the next few seconds.
As I ran to the scene with my
backpack of medical supplies, I announced, “My name is Mark and I have
emergency training!” Not knowing if what I said was clear enough or even
correct, I was surprised to see the whole group of people clear out of the
way…for me!
After a quick assessment, I
realized there were two “immediates” and one “delayed” on the scene. To
those unfamiliar with the CERT (Community Emergency Response Training)
terminology, there were two girls in shock and one male with minor scrapes
but still responsive. After covering the “immediates” for warmth and
setting them in a safe area, the “immediates” quickly became people with
names, birthdates, identities, and places of high school affiliation. In
short, I was asking each person questions not to be nosey, but to acquire
knowledge and check their cognitive responsiveness.
After the police, paramedics, and
even the county coroner arrived, I was through with my responsibilities
and obligations as a CERT member. Before I left the scene, I said the
last words as a CERT member to those two teenage girls. “You girls take
care now,” were the words I spoke. I then again became a person traveling
with his neighbor toward a few of the sacred sites in our great Native
Nation. Not exactly the same person. From that point on, I was someone
who was able to give back to our community as a Native American CERT
member from the United Tribes Technical College of Bismarck, ND. Special
thanks to Barb, Cornelius, and Sharlene for this information and
training. Hoka-Hey! |
