Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
OK! It's been about 45 years since I graduated from anything where they actually gave you a diploma, or a piece of paper that said you at least attended the required classes. At least I didn't become an involuntary victim!
I have often been asked lately, what can I do about the way things are going in this country. I'm just one person. Well, here's a way. Important and fun!
We finished about 8 weeks of neighborhood training with the bunch of friends shown here who are all in our neighborhood association. The bottom photo is of the entire class and the top shows our assocaition members.
We are a new group, just a year old and trying to do nice things for the neighborhood. Not changing laws but keeping each other posted as to what is going on, clean-ups, group yard sales, National Night Out porch socials, yada yada, yada. It's fun and along the way we learned something if God forbid an actual emergency did occur. Plus, we get to meet each other and have fun along the way.
This group is prepared to locally turn off the city gas [assigned to one person and one person only, Ginny], help out with natural disasters or man made to the extent that we can. Because we might be local to an incident, we can be of great aid before the professionals can get on the scene. We know just enough not to get ourselves killed, I hope. A big thank you to Toby our instructor and all the Lexington County and Cayce, SC folks who made this possible. If you have an interest in your own neighborhood, check with your local police or fire department.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for 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. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
ummmm - why are you the only one with a helmet?
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