(Gloucester Township, NJ) – In the wake of extreme weather events in the United States and elsewhere, many Americans have become increasingly interested in disaster preparedness and response skills. This September, the Camden County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will offer a free, 20-hour training curriculum to prepare interested Camden County residents to help protect themselves, their family, and their community during a disaster.
UPDATE: Training beginning 9/10/21 has reached capacity. Interested participants should still email the contact below for details about future opportunities.
“The CERT program is an all-risk, all-hazard training designed to help you protect your family and neighbors in the event of a disaster,” said Commissioner Jonathan Young, liaison to the Camden County Department of Public Safety. “CERT team members are not first responders but are uniquely prepared to respond during traumatic events. This ongoing program presents an excellent opportunity to give yourself and your family additional peace of mind in the face of an increasingly unpredictable environment.”
The training is comprised of both practical exercises and classroom instruction and includes:
- Recognizing types of hazards
- Disaster medical operations
- Fire safety
- Light search and rescue
- Lift and carries
- Debris removal techniques
- Door breaching
Training will be conducted:
Friday, September 10: 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 11: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 12: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sessions are held at the Charles P. Dougherty Sr. Center located at 508 Lambert Avenue in Mount Ephraim. Once initial training is completed, participants will be eligible for additional skills training throughout the year.
Pre-registration is required in order to participate. Participants under the age of 18 must also receive parent/guardian permission to attend. If you are interested in training and joining the CERT Team, please register by emailing cert@camdencodps.org no later than Monday, September 6, 2021.