Would you know what to do if local emergency personnel were overwhelmed during a disaster or were unable to access your neighborhood for up to 72 hours? Residents can take advantage of free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, hosted by the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, starting Wednesday, March 30. Seating is limited to the first 30 residents. Registration forms are due by Thursday, March 24.
Somerset County holds CERT training programs in the spring and fall.
The first class will be on Wednesday, March 30. Subsequent classes will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays: March 31 and April 5, 7, 12 and 14, from 7 to 10 p.m. and Saturdays, April 9 and 16, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Classes are held at the Somerset County Emergency Services Training Academy, located at 402 Roycefield Road in Hillsborough.
“Protecting yourself and your family during an emergency requires planning,” said Freeholder Peter Palmer. “Just as emergency personnel train and prepare in advance for disaster, residents also can take training classes,”
CERT training is intended to give people decision-making, organizational and practical skills to offer immediate assistance to family members, neighbors and associates while waiting for help. Participants learn about disaster preparedness and receive training in basic disaster-response skills such as disaster-medical operations, fire safety and light search and rescue.
Since the program’s inception in 2012, more than 400 Somerset County residents have been trained.
To learn more about CERT, visit www.citizencorps.gov/cert.
For information about training or for a registration form, contact county CERT Coordinator Tony DeMatteo, at 908-725-5070 or [email protected].
