Dressed out in bright green hardhats, green reflective vests, goggles, and gloves, 25 Shelby County citizens spent the three-day "Make A Difference" weekend learning how to teach others how to survive disasters.

These students had previously graduated from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training and were now attending the "train the trainer" course to become certified CERT instructors themselves.

CERT teaches citizens about the potential hazards and threats that are likely to occur in this region and trains them how to survive and be self-sufficient until professional rescuers arrive on the scene.

By Kontji Anthony - bio | email

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - Memphis City Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash told school board members Monday night that dozens of schools may be closed in an effort to keep the school system afloat.

Tuesday, Memphis City Schools Deputy Superintendent Hitesh Haria explained why the district is now considering merging and/or re-purposing some of its 209 schools.

"(To) ensure that we're utilizing our dollars in the best possible manner to get the best lift in student achievement," he said.

According to Haria, there are 50 under-enrolled schools, but that doesn't mean they're all on the chopping block.

"We have to come up with that criteria with our community," he said. "So right now, I can't say what schools are going to be considered or what's the criteria exactly."

When disaster strikes, we turn to our customary means to relay and receive information: 911, cell phone, radio, television and the Emergency Alert System.

However, these forms of communications may be the first essential services to suffer during an emergency. Cell phone towers fall, radio repeaters collapse, and computer systems become inoperable.

Taking this into account, the Memphis/Shelby County Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), under the direction of Bob Nations, Jr., is planning ahead to be ready with a solution to have communications up and running within minutes.

Three UASI counties, Shelby, Tipton and Fayette, have obtained self-erecting portable towers that can be used for telecommunications at a moment's notice.  These space-age looking "tower in a box"  structures are self-contained and constructed of aluminum in a triangular ladder-like configuration.