American Red Cross to host disaster training

When it comes to natural disasters most of us think about what first aid is going to be needed for those who are injured, but forget about the psychological needs of those going through the disaster.

The American Red Cross is going to be holding a training session at the fire hall on Friday, April 5 from noon til 4:30 to provide training to individuals on how to deal with the psychological aspects of a disaster.

The training will provide a freamework for understanding the factors that affect human stress responses in a disaster and introduce the principles of psychological first aid as well as give you the guidelines for when a person should be referred to a licensed professional.

During the class you will learn to recognize stress in your clients, co-workers and even yourself and learn how to provide immediate support for people experiencing stress by using psychological first aid principles.

The class is open to anyone, but you must register through Hot Springs County Emergency Management by contacting Bill Gordon at bgordon@hscounty.com.