Catholic high school emergency response teams prepare for natural disasters and incidents

Intermountain Catholic

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Judge Memorial Catholic High School students Taylor Schweitzer-Harper (left), Marshall Wallace, Justina Lopez and Clay Westing practice CPR and automated external defibrillator while learning emergency medical response and the Teen Community Emergency Response Team program. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — Each of the three Utah Catholic high schools has an emergency response team in place in the event of an incident or a natural disaster.

Juan Diego and Saint Joseph Catholic high schools put their teams together after Hurricane Katrina, while Judge Memorial Catholic High School’s response team came about prior to the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Judge’s program involves students who are trained to respond to emergencies and natural disasters. George Angelo, sports medicine instructor, has always taught a certification program for students in first aid and CPR at Judge Memorial. He began teaching an emergency response program prior to the 2002 Olympics in Utah at the request of the American Red Cross of Utah, he said, adding that 45 Judge students were in Park City and Salt Lake City at first aid stations during the Olympics.

The students are taught the same CPR and automated external defibrillator as police and firemen receive, said Angelo. They also learn emergency medical response and the Teen Community Emergency Response Team program.

"Judge Memorial is the only school in Utah with students who can assist in an emergency response," Angelo said. "Teen CERT is a national program that educates and trains teenage youth for responding to local disasters and emergencies. It is not a replacement for professional responders, but can provide manpower in an incident."

Judge Memorial was featured in a DVD made by Teen CERT in April. The Teen CERT program is offered to juniors and seniors who also learn teamwork, organizational and life skills.

Judge senior Marshall Wallace has already used the skills he learned. A member of the Park City Ski Patrol, he responded to a 7-year-old girl with a broken femur. "It was a difficult extrication and also difficult to stabilize her; she was off the ski run and in the trees," he said.

Judge junior Pierce Allen took the emergency response class to gain experience in sports medicine because he wants to be a doctor, he said.

A number of Skaggs Catholic Center staff and administration members make up the Juan Diego CHS response team. They were trained on the National Incidence Management System (NIMS), "and from that we structured our emergency response team so we could link to the community on the city, county and state levels," said Molly Dumas Juan Diego director of institutional advancement/public relations.

Unlike other national response teams, "the Catholic schools have the advantage of the theological component," Dumas said. "Father Terence Moore, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish is included in our response team, but sometimes we need to activate a more immediate service such as a rosary in our grotto."

"Prayer serves to express our hope in time of crisis and focuses our heart-felt intention in a unified way," said Marianne Rozsahegyi, a theology teacher. "It also can serve as a source of strength for students."

For example, "The prayer services that started when Adam Colosimo passed away (in July) comforted and brought peace to a lot of people and families," said Riley Rose, Juan Diego student body co-president, adding that the students appreciate the support of the whole Skaggs Catholic Center community. "We use a lot of social media to promote these prayer services, or to stay in touch with a student’s condition such as when Colosimo was hospitalized and now with Pete Benda in the hospital."

Colosimo was the first enrolled student to die in the school’s 13-year history; Benda, a freshman, suffered serious injuries in a fall Oct. 26.

At Saint Joseph Catholic High School, the chain of command for the emergency response team in the event of a natural disaster or crisis involves Joanna Whealton, principal and the administrative assistant; Joe Cravens, the guidance counselor; Alexis Salvo, dean of students; and a teacher in a separate building.

"We are responsible for alerting the school of an earthquake, fire, lockdown or any other crisis," said Whealton. "We would direct the students to our cafeteria, which has food, water, and only a few windows. It is our most secure environment. We come together every day for a devotional in the gym, so the students would be very used to listening to instruction and calming down through prayer."