Registration is open to New Hanover County residents for the upcoming Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, which begins Tuesday, October 4. CERT training is designed to provide basic training in disaster preparedness and response skills, empowering residents to prepare their families and help their neighbors before, during and after an emergency.
The goal of the CERT program is to teach volunteers to care for themselves, their families, and their neighbors safely and promptly, helping to relieve some of the demand on first responders during an emergency. CERT Training is free for residents and is a partnership between New Hanover County Emergency Management and Cape Fear Community College. Courses include disaster preparedness, fire safety, medical operations, light search and rescue, CERT organization, disaster psychology, and basic disaster response skills taught by professional firefighters, EMS personnel, and other emergency responders.
“We want to ensure our residents know how to prepare for any emergency and have the skills needed to take an active role in keeping themselves and their families safe during a disaster,” said Emergency Management Director Steven Still. “The CERT Training gives residents the tools they need through hands-on practice and realistic exercises to be self-sufficient in a crisis, but also teaches how to expand that effort to help neighbors in need. By educating our residents, we build a stronger community response during emergencies, which makes our entire community more resilient.”
The county’s CERT Training will last six weeks, beginning on Tuesday, October 4, with classes on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. Classes will be held in person at the New Hanover County Emergency Operations Center and Cape Fear Community College North Campus. In addition, a disaster simulation exercise will be held on November 12.
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