Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Programme provides an opportunity for communities to become more self-reliant during disasters that may affect them. The Programme, based on an initiative by the Los Angeles (USA) Fire Department, aims to develop multifunctional community response teams whose members can give critical support to first responders, and provide immediate assistance to victims of disasters.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Programme educates members of communities about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Participants in this week’s workshop will receive an all-risk, all-hazard training, designed to help them protect themselves, their families, neighbours and neighbourhoods in emergency situations. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. CERT members can also assist with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.

The CDEMA CU successfully piloted its CERT programme in Montserrat in February 2009. This training has since been delivered in several CDEMA Participating States, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands in September 2011 and in Grenada, Anegada, Virgin Islands and again in Montserrat in 2012.

The workshop is being facilitated by a CU team comprising Mrs. Velda Octave-Joseph, Gen. (r’td) Earl Arthurs and Ms. Gayle Drakes. The NCCR, as well as the Suriname Red Cross, military, fire service and police will also provide expert technical facilitation and guidance. The workshop is being funded through the support of the ACP-EU Disaster Risk Management Sub-regional Programme to the Enhanced Community Resilience Building Programme.

Through the CERT Training Programme, CDEMA is seeking to broaden community self-sufficiency in preparing and responding to local events, particularly in the Participating States selected for the Enhanced Community Resilience Building Programme under the ACP-EU Disaster Risk Management Sub-regional Programme.

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