WRHSAC has developed and helped western Massachusetts entities implement a Regional Shelter Plan. This comprehensive plan provides Job Action Sheets, Standard Operating Guides, Forms and more.
WRHSAC has developed an on-line training with individual modules for each job associated with operating a shelter. The training is free and accessible for anyone to take. Once a module is completed, participants are able to print out a certificate indicating they have taken the training. These certificates can be used by shelter managers to track staff training. The modules can also be used as just-in-time training during shelter activation.
A goal of this project is to familiarize people with the WRHSAC Regional Shelter Plan documents, how to use them, and encourage municipalities to adopt them to assist in creating common operating pictures in shelter operation throughout the region. The number of people that need to understand this content is also quite large: everyone from local Selectboards, to local Boards of Health, to Emergency Managers, to Medical Reserve Corps Volunteers, to local church organization active in disasters and even people who might show up the day after an event who just want to help out in any way they can. It became clear that online training or E-training was a positive solution and a contract was signed with a training development firm with a focus on emergency management.
The E-training was designed to provide learners with knowledge about how to carry out their assigned responsibilities in a shelter. The underlying instructional design is simple: apply problem solving versus memorization based on scenarios they would likely encounter in a shelter environment. The training builds on the regional and other national guidance documents and it contains all of the forms necessary to carry out shelter operations under the National Incident Management System.
The training has the following features:
● Scenario-based content
● An emphasis on ADA compliance
● Applied Learning
● Mobile ready
● Embedded and printable certificates
understand, utilize and present to others the concepts for creating highly effective extrication methods for removing other law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMT’s and civilians from situations where the likelihood of death may occur.
The course will teach, in a hands-on manner, tactics for rescuing a downed public safety officer or civilian in a building, open area or a vehicle.
