SEMO Search and Rescue will sponsor Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training in Poplar Bluff during the first two weekends of April.
The training is available to any interested individuals in the community. The event will be held on April 1-2 and April 8-9 at the Poplar Bluff Masonic Lodge on North Main Street.
All educational and training materials will be provided, and all four training sessions must be attended to be certified as having completed the course.
Training on Friday, April 1, and Friday, April 8, will go from 5:30-9:30 p.m. The sessions for Saturday, April 2, and Saturday, April 9, will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:30 p.m.
The CERT basic training course provides knowledge about community disaster management and what citizens can do to help in the wake of a disaster.
The focus is placed upon the most commonly occurring natural and man-made disasters, many of which are weather-related in Southeast Missouri, such as tornadoes and floods.
The CERT program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.
CERT offers a uniform, national approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks, according to organizers.
The CERT concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1985. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs.
CERT became a national program in 1993. There are now CERT programs in all 50 states. Each is unique to its community. More than 600,000 people have trained in the CERT program.
This free training is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and is open to anyone in the community.
To register for the upcoming course, contact Dean Ngarotata at 314-540-4192 or Amanda Knight at 573-718-9193.