Erika serves as wake-up call for citizen first responders at Lakewood Ranch

LAKEWOOD RANCH -- Erika gave Florida a wake-up call when it swept through the Caribbean Sea in August, killing at least 20 people on the tiny island of Dominica before taking aim at the United States.

Wind shear tore the storm apart before it could hit Florida.

Even so, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for Florida, and the Manatee County Commission declared a local state of emergency.

Among those taking note were Lakewood Ranch residents, several of whom signed up for the next community emergency response team training session set for October.

Victor Kline, president of the Lakewood Ranch Community Emergency Response Team, would like to see even more residents sign up for the classes.

"We have 240 members, and hope to add as many as 20 more. Our target is at least 300 members," Kline said Wednesday. "We have neighborhoods in Lakewood Ranch with no CERT members at all. If there is a hurricane or natural disaster, the teams take care of their own neighborhoods first. But we do our best to cover all of our areas of responsibility."

September is National Preparedness Month and hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.

The National Hurricane Center was watching several areas Wednesday far out in the Atlantic Ocean, in

cluding Tropical Depression Nine, with sustained winds of 30 mph; and a second disturbance 400 miles southwest of Cape Verde.

Neither appeared to be a threat to the United States. That's part of the problem.

Storms can be deceptive.

"Erika was a threat and then it was a non-threat," Kline said.

Among those who have seen the ravages of a major hurricane are Dr. Diane Bourlier, a board member of Lakewood Ranch CERT.

She spent a month in the Miami area after Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead in 1992.

"More than 50 percent of our hospital staff lost their homes. You couldn't recognize anything. It was really crazy that first week after the storm. There was a lot of looting," Bourlier said.

The appeal of CERT is everybody can play a role regardless of their abilities. CERT-trained volunteers can help themselves and their family first, then they can help the community, she said.

"We will be some of the first responders in the community. We can really make a difference, educate and help our neighbors," Bourlier said.

The four-part course is free for Lakewood Ranch residents.

Sessions are scheduled on Oct. 15, Oct. 17, Oct. 22 and Oct. 24.

Participants will learn:

How to make their home safe.

How to decide whether to evacuate and what to take.

Locations of Manatee County emergency shelters and what to bring

First aid skills and supplies.

Classes are taught by instructors from Lakewood Ranch CERT and East Manatee Fire Rescue at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall and a local fire station.

Visit lwrcert.org and use the "contact us" drop down menu to register.

James A. Jones Jr., East Manatee reporter, can be contacted at 941-745-7053 or on Twitter @jajones1.

This story was originally published September 17, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Erika serves as wake-up call for citizen first responders at Lakewood Ranch."