WEATHERFORD — In a continuing effort to prepare Parker County’s first responders and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for future disasters, Parker County Judge Mark Riley’s Emergency Management team recently held a training event using a state-of-the-art mobile medical unit.

Parker County’s Community Liaison for Emergency Preparedness Kit Marshall, Parker County Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator Janice Stroud and Parker County Emergency Management Coordinator Shawn Scott had the large inflatable MMU set up as training for a team of Parker County volunteers, along with members of NCTCOG’s Emergency Preparedness team and volunteers with the Lone Star Medical Task Force.

“We are constantly planning and training for scenarios that present a risk to our residents,” Riley said. “Of course we hope the scenarios never actually happen, but preparation is the key to saving lives and property in the event an actual disaster does take place. Parker County is recognized as having one of the finest emergency management programs in the state. We make it our duty to be prepared.”

The goal was to gain experience in setting up the facility so in case of an actual emergency or disaster, the MMU could be operational as soon as possible.

“I thought the training was fabulous,” Marshall said. “First, I want to thank Weatherford College’s president, Dr. Joe Birmingham, and their police chief, Paul Stone, for the permission to train on their property. It was two info-packed days culminating in the hands-on set up of the facility. What a collaborative effort between Parker County Emergency Management, Parker County CERT and the Red Cross and our regional partners.”

Marshall said the MMU is not just “another tent,” but a multi-purposed, climate-controlled facility capable of expanding current medical resources and bed space for Parker County residents during a disaster.

“The training went very well,” said Suzanne Stiles, administrative officer for the Lone Star Medical Task Force. “The Emergency Management group in Parker County is one of the most interactive groups we have trained. It was a long, hot day and they just kept going. The CERT team did a great job and it was nice to see the Red Cross represented at this project. These volunteers and paid employees truly have the best interest of their county at heart.”

The Lone Star Medical Task Force collaborates with NCTCOG to put together training programs on the MMU with a goal of training all 19 counties in the region on the use and set up of the facility. There are five MMUs in the region for use by counties in case of a disaster.

According to the MMU training handbook written by the North Central Texas Trauma Regional Advisory Council, a MMU provides mobile disaster-support for triage and patient stabilization, sheltering, hospital surge, prophylaxis and a myriad of other disaster and emergency response support capabilities.

Stroud said the training was an example of how Parker County’s Emergency Management capabilities have grown over the time she has been involved in the program.

“In the six years that I have been working in Emergency Management, the involvement of county residents into emergency management has grown tremendously and we have developed a large group of Parker County residents who are anxious to assist in any way possible,” she said. “The increase in the grant funding has made it possible for the purchase of much needed equipment that aids the county in better protection for our residents, and the constant training that we do results in faster response times and just a better overall plan in handling emergencies. We are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were six years ago.”

Parker County residents who would like to be a volunteer with Parker County’s CERT Team can call Parker County Emergency Management at (817) 598-0969.