By Stephanie Zevenbergen
The Hume Weekly
CRAIGIEBURN, N.Z. — Casey Nunn has won a scholarship that will take her to the US and Canada to gain more knowledge about emergency service volunteers and training.
Ms Nunn, the team leader at the Craigieburn Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), was awarded the scholarship by the Emergency Services Foundation, which was set up after the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires to help emergency services workers.
CERT provides basic life support to people suffering life-threatening medical emergencies before an ambulance arrives.
Ms Nunn, who leaves for her trip on on July 27, says: “I’m going to find out how they train their team leaders and how we could better train [people in] our area.
“I realised there was a gap of information that was missing in the ambulance service; there’s no formal training of team leaders [in Victoria]. They’re just elected and sent on their merry way.
“I hope to draw on the successes of other emergency services across the US and Canada in recruiting, retaining and leading volunteers and sharing that knowledge with all of the emergency services in Victoria.” The study tour includes looking at leadership and mentoring at the New York City Fire Department and volunteers at the New York City community emergency response team.
Ms Nunn will also visit fire and emergency medical services teams in Los Angeles, Washington, Toronto and Philadelphia during the three-week trip.
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