JOIN YOUR LOCAL CERT!
What is CERT?
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a training program preparing community volunteers to help themselves, their families and their neighbors in the event of a major disaster. During a major disaster, first responders may not be able to reach everyone right away. By getting trained in CERT, you will learn the skills needed to help save lives and protect property.
What Do CERT Teams Do In An Emergency?
Under the direction of the Lee County Director of Emergency Services, CERT volunteers provide critical support by giving immediate assistance to victims, providing damage assessment information and organizing other volunteers at a disaster site. Volunteers trained in CERT also offer a potential workforce for performing duties such as traffic and crowd control, shelter support and evacuation.
How Does CERT Help The Community?
In addition to supporting emergency responders during a disaster, the CERT program builds strong relationships between the emergency responders and the people they serve. CERT teams also participate by helping with neighborhood emergency plans, exercises, emergency preparedness information and education.
The Benefits of CERT Training
We work with local agencies to provide some of the best and most interactive response training available. CERT training starts with a 21 hour basic course approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and taught here in Lee County at the Central Carolina Community College’s Emergency Services Training Center. The basic course provides critical skills in emergency preparedness and response. Participants learn to:
Anticipate Hazards
Extinguish Small Fires
- Conduct Search and Rescue Operations
- Apply Basic First Aid
- Set Up Medical Treatment Areas
- Help Reduce Survivor Stress
- You may also participate in additional CERT training including drills and exercises.
- Who Should Join CERT?
If you are at least eighteen years old, a Lee County resident and have the desire to become involved, you are eligible to join CERT. Now is the time to get involved and discover what other CERT volunteers have already experienced learning to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a disaster. There is no cost for CERT training and there is a job for everyone, regardless of age or physical condition.
Our CERT training courses are offered on a regularly scheduled format.
To sign up, contact Lee County CERT leaders: Penny Turner at pbturner@windstream.net or Sparky Wilson at sparky.wilson06@gmail.com. All training is given at the Carolina Trace Fire Volunteer Department.
