White County selected as one of three locations in Tennessee to host a new regional Community Emergency Response Team training trailer.
EMA Director Matt McBride said the state chose the county to serve as a hub for the Upper Cumberland and Middle Tennessee regions. McBride said the mobile unit will be available for deployment during disasters and will serve as a resource for neighboring agencies to conduct specialized safety courses.
“So to have a trailer that’s here in the Upper Cumberland and can be pretty much anywhere in the Upper Cumberland, I would say by the time, even in the middle of the night, within an hour and a half to two hours is a huge asset,” McBride said, “To have not only those kits available, but to have the fire extinguishers.”
McBride said the enclosed cargo trailer contains 50 individual response kits equipped with glow sticks, marking paint, flagging tape, and compasses. The unit also carries a generator, portable lights, and a fire extinguisher training prop to help volunteers practice emergency suppression.
“There’s 10 to 12 water cans, which are two and a half gallon fire extinguishers that are pressurized with air and have water in them, and that’s for CERT members to carry as they’re going through these neighborhoods in a disaster or these urban areas or even rural areas searching for damage, victims, so forth,” McBride said.
McBride said the trailer can function as a small off-site command post during active incidents. The interior features dry-erase boards for personnel accountability and can be integrated into an existing incident command system.
“White County wants to be a community partner not only for the Upper Cumberland but the state of Tennessee,” McBride said. “We have been on several disasters and wildfires and storm damage and so forth.”
McBride said the program offers a way for residents to serve who may not have the time required for traditional volunteer fire or rescue services. He said the goal is to build a network of trained citizens who can deploy as teams to assist other areas of the state when needed.
“I think having those people where you can get 10 or 12 maybe to deploy with the trailer to help, or if we have two to three CERT teams that can put together a team of 30 to send to a different area in the state, I think that’s huge for the Upper Cumberland area not only to receive, but to deploy resources also,” McBride said.
His office plans to use the trailer for public fire extinguisher classes to generate interest in disaster response, McBride continued. He said he hopes to have a local team established with at least three training sessions completed by next year.
Residents interested in upcoming class registrations can monitor the official White County Office of Emergency Management Facebook page for updates.
