Queen Anne’s County Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) educates volunteers on disaster preparedness and basic disaster response skills. C.E.R.T. members are taught based on nationally recognized guidelines and the material is adapted to conform to the hazards that could be faced within Queen Anne’s County. C.E.R.T. training teaches basic response skills ranging from fire safety, light search and rescue, to disaster psychology and how people typically react when disasters strike. In a disaster when Emergency Services personnel could be delayed in response, C.E.R.T. members become the first to respond.
Community members throughout Queen Anne’s County want to help and do the most good in a disaster situation. However, sometimes, due to lack of training, the helping has the potential to do more harm than good. Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) training resolves this problem by giving you the knowledge and tools to successfully respond when it is most needed.
C.E.R.T. training is spread out over seven days and is taught for 2-3 hours each day, usually in the evening. Through the seven days, C.E.R.T. members are taught disaster preparedness, fire suppression, basic medical operations, light search and rescue operations, disaster psychology, team organization, and given a disaster simulation to test the knowledge and skills taught during the training. Once the C.E.R.T. training has been completed, members are given a backpack with the basic tools necessary to respond in a disaster. Queen Anne’s County Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) members also have the opportunity to volunteer during numerous planned events throughout the year.
The CERT Summer Session class dates are: 7/16, 7/18, 7/20, 7/23, 7/23, 7/27, 7/30, 8/1, 8/3. You must attend all 8 sessions to receive a certificate of completion. The classes will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 110 Vincit Street, Centreville MD 21617.
To register go to www.qacdes.org and click on the CERT Logo. For questions contact Joseph Cichocki jcichocki@qac.org or by calling him at (410) 758 -4500 ext. 1119.
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