Friday, October 7, 2011
EARLY RESPONSE TEAM TRAINING
Read more: http://www.epaumc.org/resources/disasterresponse/early-response
ERT Training November 19, 2011
A date has been set for Early Response Team training on November 19, 2011 at Bethany UMC in Wescosville, outside of Allentown. Training will run from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Cost of the training is $15 per person with lunch and a light breakfast provided courtesy of Bethany UMC.
Early Response Teams (ERTs) are the folks who go in right after the emergency phase of a disaster to muck out homes, tarp roofs, remove wet drywall and insulation and cut up downed trees to make homes safe, sanitary and secure. No repairs are performed by these teams. They often need to be totally self-sufficient, taking care of their own meals and transportation into and out of the affected area. Training is mandatory in order to participate on one of these teams and reasonably good health is required. Our goal is to eventually be able to deploy ERTs from each of the six districts in our conference, each with their own, fully equipped trailer.
Bethany UMC is located at 1208 Brookside Road, Allentown, PA 18106.
Attendance will be limited to 30 people and a place can be held only after receipt of a check. If you wish to attend, please notify Helen Newell at jihenew269@aol.com or (610) 584-4057 . Checks payable to “EPA-VIM” with the notation “ERT Training” may be sent to Helen at 954 Garfield Ave., Lansdale, PA 19446.
The mission of an Early Response Team is to provide a caring Christian presence in the aftermath of a disaster. These teams are neither first response groups of emergency workers nor recovery rebuild or repair teams; rather they fill a specific need in the early days after a disaster to establish the presence of the church.
