MAHONING COUNTY Agency offers disaster classes

There is no cost to attend the three-hour sessions.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Mahoning County wants to make sure there are enough people to respond when disaster strikes.
The county emergency management agency is offering classes to train volunteers from neighborhood, community organizations or workplaces in basic response skills.
Walter Duzzny, executive director, said the level of response within the first 72 hours after a disaster is critical. If a disaster overwhelms professional safety and emergency staff, the trained volunteers can assist.
"We're not going to teach people how to rappel down a building or do any deep-sea diving," Duzzny said. "It's just common sense, neighborhood, in-your-business preparedness."
No cost
Duzzny said there is no cost to attend the three-hour sessions, which will be at the agency's offices on Industrial Road, on the city's West Side.
Training will cover fire safety, first aid, team organization, disaster psychology and search-and-rescue techniques, among other things, Duzzny said. They will also discuss the types of emergencies faced in this area, such as tornadoes, blizzards and flooding.
It's part of a national Citizens Corps initiative, which is aimed at training citizen volunteers to assist with homeland security issues.
Duzzny said people generally tend to "mobilize" in the aftermath of an emergency or disaster anyway.
"All we're trying to do is fine-tune that energy level," he said. "It's a family, neighborhood and community issue."
Participants will be required to use appropriate safety equipment in the hands-on training sessions, Duzzny said.
Anyone interested in signing up for the classes can call the emergency management agency office, (330) 740-2200.
bjackson@vindy.com