As natural disasters continue to increase in frequency and impact various regions of the United States, the United Steelworkers (USW) is intensifying its efforts to respond not only in the areas where its members work but also in the communities where they live.

To that end, 13 USW Specialized Emergency Response Trainers (SERTs) gathered at USW headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa., in November, for a five-day session aimed at broadening and deepening the knowledge they bring into the field. The SERTs underwent specialized training in various health and safety topics to enhance their ability to support distressed communities. While the SERTS are well-versed in emergency command center protocols, their unique training curriculum prioritizes disaster preparedness. Therefore, all of their enhancement training emphasizes effective team communication.

The week began with a series of group exercises aimed at improving problem solving at a group level. At first, some of these activities appeared to be mere games that would be easy to play. Quite the opposite! The stress came on almost instantly and would only increase until people realized the only way to accomplish their tasks was to come up with methods that involved absolutely everybody present. One exercised involved lowering a thin tube to the ground using only two fingers. The first few rounds met with immediate failure, some were even tempted to blame. But as USW members know, “blaming the worker” leads to nothing good. Finally, after about 15 minutes, the SERTS figured it out—together, coming up with structural changes to the problem at hand.

As the week progressed, other safety topics were introduced. One involved the complexities of fall protection equipment. Although the SERTs enjoyed some hardy laughs suiting up into wide variety of harnesses, they were well aware of the seriousness of the topic. And since some SERTs have more experience with particular hazards than others, training together in person—is a thing of beauty! Everybody felt grateful to be learning from others.

Another life-and-death matter the SERTs spent a whole morning on, was cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The training was conducted by Mark Mace (USW Local Union 10-14693), a specialist in CPR. Hours were spent pushing on life-like dummies and blowing air into stiff plastic lungs. Although people’s triceps were really feeling it at the end of the session, everyone left with a sense of confidence they can handle real life emergencies. All of the SERTs received a training certificate by the American Heart Association.

One of the most challenging topics addressed during the week was opioid education. Given the extent of the opioid epidemic sweeping the country, virtually nobody present had been left untouched by it. Health specialists from Allegheny County presented the SERTs with the most current...

USW Local 8599, If you are looking for something fun to do with your family during the break, look into Imanginarium. This is the interactive light display that is now special for the Holidays located at the Pomona Fairplex. See the link for ticket information and special discount pricing! Have fun!

www.imaginarium.com