Are you interested in serving your community during a disaster? The City of Poway will be providing five weeks of free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The trainings are scheduled every Saturday beginning January 16 through February 13, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. with final drills and graduation on Saturday, February 13. After successful completion of the training, residents will be eligible to apply to join the City’s CERT program.
CERT is a concept first developed by the Los Angeles County Fire Department in the 1980s based on concerns about the community’s ability to respond to an earthquake or other large-scale emergency. They recognized that civilians should be trained to respond to their personal and neighborhood safety and survival needs during times when traditional emergency response systems may be overwhelmed.
Program participants will be provided training in numerous subject areas including first aid, fire suppression, search and rescue, terrorism, emergency preparedness, and disaster psychology. At the conclusion of the classroom training, students will participate in a practical exercise designed to use newly acquired skills. The classes will be taught by local firefighters in cooperation with Palomar College.
Participation in the class is free due to a grant from San Diego Gas & Electric. Classes are held at the Poway Fire Stations and the Poway Fire Training Tower. The class size is limited. To apply, call the Poway Fire Department at (858) 668-4474 or email sturnbull@poway.org.