The Delray Beach Fire Department offers city residents the opportunity to participate in Community Emergency Response Training. What is CERT and Why Is There a Need? Each year, South Florida communities are threatened by severe weather, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and flash floods. In this day and age, the threat of man-made disasters is also a possibility. Whatever the cause, the damage caused by such disasters effects everyone. Disasters can:
Severely restrict and overwhelm emergency response resources, communications, transportation and utilities. Leave individuals and neighborhoods cut off from outside emergency support for hours or days. What If This Happened to Us? Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are trained to take care of themselves and then help others in their communities for the first three days following a disaster. This is when debris-clogged or damaged roads and disrupted communications, as well as a high volume of calls, may prevent access by professional emergency response personnel. CERT training equips citizens with the basic skills required to handle their own needs and then to be able to respond to their communities needs in the aftermath of a disaster. What Does the Course Involve? The Community Emergency Response Team course consists of 24 hours of training. One night a week for eight weeks, Delray Beach Firefighters and Paramedics teach the program. The course agenda includes:
Week 1 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Week 2 DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION
Week 3 DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART 1
Week 4 DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART 2
Week 5 LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS
Week 6 TERRORISM / INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM
Week 7 DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY / EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
Week 8 FINAL REVIEW / DISASTER SIMULATION / GRADUATION
Please contact: Delray Beach Fire Rescue CERT Program Coordinator Kenneth Thompson at: Thompsonk@mydelraybeach.com or 561-243-7400 for further information and application.
