CERT Basic Training Course Coming this Fall

Jacksonville’s active CERT – Community Emergency Response Team – is recruiting local citizens to participate in a free basic training class in October. Held over two consecutive weekends on October 13, 20/21 from 8-5, participants will learn valuable skills enabling them to work alongside professional emergency first responders.

Some members of Jacksonville's CERT Team

CERT is a nationwide program of volunteers which began in Los Angeles for neighbors to help neighbors deal with earthquakes. You’ve likely seen CERT members helping with crowd and traffic control at Jacksonville parades and festivals. But the team also participates in structural triage identification, firefighter rehab services, search and rescue operations, evacuations, city-wide emergency disaster drills and more.

CERT crews serve as back-up for police and fire professionals by handling non-life threatening matters that enable  professional fire and police personnel to attend to the most serious emergency response needs. Jacksonville’s CERT has grown to 13 members, 10 of whom are highly-active. This fall, 6 new students have already signed-up to attend the Basic Training.  Nevertheless, the team is looking for more members and encourages all interested citizens to participate.

 

CERT Truck

Today, Jacksonville’s CERT members include, Bill & Linda Graham, Owen Jurling, Michele Brown-Riding, Carol Knapp, Gayle Lewis, Linda Kestner, Rick Murdoch, Mark D’Amato, Frank Kukla and Jacob Stecher.

During training, students will learn basic first-aid, extrications, emergency sheltering, light search & rescue, disaster readiness and preparedness, traffic control, firefighter support, HazMat safety, sandbagging and more. Each task you are trained for is done with your personal safety and the safety of the trainer in-mind. Although students are exposed to a wide array of topics and lots of information, students are not required to remember it all!  And…there’s no test at the end.

CERT Volunteer Gayle Lewis assists the injured in the Jacksonville May Disaster Drill

CERT is essentially a volunteer organization comprised of neighbors helping neighbors. Your training can then be applied in many settings – home, work and vacations. During the year, ongoing training is offered in the field and in the classroom during regular CERT meetings.

The Basic Training classes will be held in Central Point. Please contact the Jacksonville CERT Coordinator, Michele Brown-Riding at 541-846-1460 or email Michele@apbb.net for more information.