Salem Reporter publishes a regular column from Mark Wardell, West Salem team leader for Salem’s Community Emergency Response Team, focusing on emergency preparedness and planning.

Join me in congratulating the CERT graduating class – Fall 2025!

CERT Basic Training is designed to empower you to become a reliable first line of defense for yourself and your community during the critical hours following a disaster. The curriculum builds practical skills, moving from immediate survival to structured community action.

The training begins with disaster preparedness, anchoring you in hazard identification and the fundamentals of self-sufficiency. You quickly move into critical, life-saving skills: Fire safety training teaches you how to reduce fire hazards, use a fire extinguisher effectively, and safely control basic utilities like gas and electric meters.

The core of the hands-on training lies in disaster medical operations. Here, you learn essential first aid skills, focusing on treating the most life-threatening conditions (airway issues, severe bleeding, and shock). Crucially, you gain the ability to perform basic triage, which allows you to quickly assess victims and prioritize those who need immediate care versus those who can wait.

Once the initial medical needs are addressed, you learn how to take control of the environment through light search and rescue techniques. This module focuses on safe movement through damaged buildings; proper search strategies; and techniques for lifting, moving, and removing victims without causing further injury.

Throughout the course, you are trained on the CERT Organization and Incident Command System, which provides the necessary framework to organize spontaneous volunteer efforts and coordinate effectively with professional first responders. Finally, disaster psychology prepares you to recognize and manage the emotional trauma in both victims and fellow responders. The entire course culminates in a full-scale disaster simulation, where you get to put all of these skills into action in a realistic, controlled environment.

On Nov. 15, at 9:00 a.m., our current CERT class of 33 volunteers began their final exam, the dreaded deployment exercise, and became fully trained CERT volunteers. Our very own Salem Fire Chief David Gerboth was on hand for the event and personally congratulated each participant while giving them their diploma. Also present at this event was our very own Mayor Julie Hoy, who was actually a class participant and part of the graduating class.

It’s only December

Last month we covered some winter preparedness, and getting ready for an ice storm, because we know an ice storm is coming sooner or later. But it’s December, and it’s winter, and sometimes we could all use a reminder.

Guarding against the festive fire risks

Statistics show that December is the peak month for home fires sparked by decorations, candles and electrical issues. Our first line of defense is with the Christmas tree. For real trees, ensure you cut 2 inches off the base and keep the stand filled with water daily; a dry tree is a severe fire hazard. Crucially, position your tree at least three feet away from all heat sources, including fireplaces and space heaters, and always turn off the lights before going to sleep or leaving the house.

When decorating, take a moment to inspect your lights and cords. Discard any strands with frayed wires or cracked sockets. If you are using older incandescent lights, never connect more than three strings end-to-end to prevent overloading. For outdoor displays, ensure lights and cords are specifically marked for outdoor use and plug them into circuits protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). Finally, if you use candles, place them at least 12 inches away from anything flammable and never leave them unattended. Consider switching to battery-powered, flameless candles to eliminate the fire risk entirely.

Skills for winter outages

Beyond fire, December is prime time for the ice and wind storms that cause prolonged power outages here in the Willamette Valley. If you lose power and turn to alternative heat sources, the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is severe. It is imperative to test all carbon monoxide alarms and remember the golden rule: Never use a generator, grill, kerosene, or propane heater inside your home or garage. Generators must be placed at least 20 feet away from any windows or vents.

To protect your home from cold snaps, check on water pipes in unheated areas like attics or crawlspaces and insulate them to prevent freezing and bursting. Knowing how to quickly shut off your main water line becomes vital if a pipe fails. Also, check that any space heaters used have an automatic shut-off feature and are positioned three feet away from flammable items.

Preventing falls and final checks

Finally, the rush of the season often leads to injuries. Over 40% of holiday decorating-related injuries involve falls. Use a sturdy ladder placed on a level surface, and remember to always maintain three points of contact when climbing. Keep your attention focused on safely mounting your decorations.
Before the month is through, take a moment to secure cords that could be tripping hazards in walkways and ensure your family and pets are safe from traditional holiday plants like mistletoe and holly berries, which can be poisonous if ingested. By taking these simple, proactive steps, you can ensure your December is safe, warm, and focused on goodwill.

Preview of 2026

I want to give you a little preview of what I’ll be focusing on in this space that the Salem Reporter allows me to use. This is not a hard list set in stone, but just some of the ideas I’m thinking about.

We’ll return to working our way through becoming 2 Weeks Ready. We’ve done this before, but because it is one of the most important first steps to being better prepared, I felt we should cover it again.

I will be focusing a little more on CERT—what we learn, what we do, and why you really should consider taking the training and joining your local team.
Alongside those general areas of focus, we will also cover other topics such as home hazard mitigation, pet preparedness, basic household first aid skills, and more. If you have suggestions, see my contact information below.

I want more engagement from you so I can cover what you want to learn. I know you’re reading this, and I know there are things I haven’t written about that you really want to know. How do I know this? Because random people will tell me they read it.

Listing what we’re going to start talking about starting in January and working our way through the year gives it that New Year’s resolution feel. But this is one resolution I assure you we’ll keep.

Happy holidays

‘Tis the season! As I write this, we just celebrated Thanksgiving last week. Whether you celebrate any of the upcoming winter holidays or choose not to celebrate anything, please accept my best wishes for peace and goodwill to bless your lives. Happy Holidays, and I look forward to connecting with you again in 2026!

If you have any questions about this article, preparedness in general, or if you’d like to inquire about joining CERT or scheduling a CERT presentation for your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact me, Mark Wardell, at [email protected].

STORY TIP OR IDEA? Send an email to Salem Reporter’s news team: [email protected].

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