East Hartford Fire Department Announce Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Course for the public
East Hartford Fire Department Announce Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Course for the public
Unique opportunity for citizens
September 10, 2014 – The East Hartford Office of Emergency Management and the East Hartford Fire Department announce they are currently accepting applications for the next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Course to begin on October 7th, 2014.
The CERT Basic Training Course is offered free of charge to citizens who reside, work, or otherwise have an interest in East Hartford. Mayor Marcia Leclerc commented that “This is a unique opportunity for citizens of East Hartford to learn about emergency preparedness and public safety. The training will not only teach citizens how to be personally prepared but will also give them the skills they need to help their neighbors and the community in times of need.”
The Mayor went on to state that upon completion of the training each graduate will have the opportunity to volunteer and be part of East Hartford CERT. “CERT is such a valuable part of the overall public safety team in East Hartford. They fill many roles during an incident, whether working in a shelter, assisting in the Emergency Operations Center or otherwise deployed into the field. They take on a broad range of responsibilities that free up full-time public safety personnel.”
When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.
The CERT course is taught in cooperation with personnel from the Office of Emergency Management, East Harford Fire Department, as well as current CERT Members and guest speakers. CERT training includes topics such as disaster preparedness, fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue.
Classes will be held every Tuesday evening for eleven consecutive weeks starting October 7th, 2014 from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM, in the East Hartford Fire Department’s Training Room. All students will also receive free equipment and have the opportunity to apply to join East Hartford CERT. Enrollment is limited to twenty-five participants on a first come first served basis. Applications for the training are available at Fire Department Headquarters located at the Public Safety Complex on 31 School Street, by contacting John Ryan at (860) 997-3653, johnryan@easthartfordct.gov or Fill out Application here.