COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
(CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. 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 the community by a trained team of first responders who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course conducted by their state training office for emergency management, or FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI), located in Emmitsburg, Maryland. CERT training includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations.

Over the next two years, the CERT program aims to double the number of participants, with over 400,000 individuals completing the 20 plus hours of training. Train-the-Trainer sessions will be held in all 56 states and territories over the next year to expand the program throughout the United States.

In Clearfield County, EMA Director William Swatsworth; EMA Deputy Director Melanie Voris; EMA Deputy Director Jerry P. Pollock; Area Agency on Aging Representative Alice Pollock; Clearfield EMS representative Chad Abrams; and Pennsylvania Dog Law Enforcement representative Harold Walstrom have successfully taken the CERT Train-the-Trainer course.  A class was held on June 10, 2003 for Clearfield County Employees.

Clearfield County Emergency Management is working with community based groups, churches and businesses through the County to help generate more interest in the course.  Check our site for scheduled classes and updates.

For more information on CERT, visit the FEMA webpage at http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/CERT/