Have you ever used a fire extinguisher? Do you know what to do if someone is in hypovolemic shock? When are you supposed to turn off the gas to your house? Want to learn all these practical skills while having fun at the same time? Then register today for the Spring 2013 CERT course.
The Community Emergency Response Team training (CERT) offered by the City of Albany teaches you practical and theoretical skills concerning many different aspects of emergency preparedness. The 8 week course includes hands on interactive experiences covering topics such as disaster medicine, light search and rescue, fire suppression, disaster psychology, and CERT organization.
Not only does CERT training give you practical skills, but it also helps you practice smart decision–making. You will learn how to organize your neighbors to plan and respond to an emergency both effectively and safely. The goal of CERT is to enable team members to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time.
CERT gives participants an opportunity to discuss practical solutions for managing a disaster until professional rescuers are able to respond to your neighborhood. Suggestions are given for creating your “go bag” and other necessary emergency supplies. One of the favorite sessions is a potluck meal of food from participant’s disaster supplies. The sharing of ideas is an integral part of each class; everyone brings a unique perspective and has great suggestions to offer.
In the final session participants put out real fires with fire extinguishers, use cribbing to lift a heavy object off a victim and perform a search and rescue exercise. Successful completion of these challenges builds confidence in class members that they are more prepared to help their family and neighbors in the event of a real emergency.
The Spring 2013 CERT class starts Saturday, February 2nd and runs through March 30th from 9:00am to 12:00 noon. To register, contact the Albany Police Department’s Community Engagement Specialist Karina Tindol at 510.528.5755 or 510.812.6240 (cell) or ktindol@albanyca.org
