Ok, so is this coincidence that all of this is happening at once or just the next step in being prepared to serve and help in any way possible? I am doing what I can to assist the Vineyard CAT efforts, and at the same time I am pursuing whatever training is available through the Red Cross for Emergency and Disaster preparedness.

As part of the CAT efforts we are taking the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training that is funded through FEMA. It is 16 hours of training and is certainly a different perspective than the basic first aid/CPR training that the Red Cross does. The focus is on doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people in a larger scale emergency, and therefore not focusing on any one individual. I jokingly said to Dom that "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" to which he immediately replied "or the one." Yay, another trekkie ;)

I am on the volunteer list at the Red Cross and so far I have taken the training to be an ERV (pronounced "Irv") driver. Those are the big white and red ambulance type vehicles that you have probably seen at sporting events or fairs that are intended to provide relief in emergency situations. We saw them driving around the streets in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina offering hot meals to residents. They are also available to respond to local smaller scale emergencies like fires. It should be interesting.

Part of the pursuit of this training I know comes from an insecurity that I have that a situation could develop for which I might not be prepared. There is a bit of cognitive dissonance as I realize that I cannot possibly be in control of any potential situation that could arise, but at the same time I want to do what I can. I really don't want to be just a helpless onlooker, and I want to have some skills that are of value to humanity and not just to make a paycheck. I would love to get some additional medical training like EMT. We'll see.