Free CERT-Training Provided by Los Angeles Fire Department
The city of Santa Clarita is once again offering Community Emergency Response Training, starting Jan. 16, 2014. This FEMA-approved program will teach residents how to respond in the face of life-threatening disasters.
As police officers, fire fighters and city officials prepare for all possible emergency situations, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is providing free training to help citizens prepare by teaching them basic survival skills in the face of natural disasters and other life-threatening situations.
The CERT program will hold free classes for San Pedro-area residents starting on Monday, January 6 and continue for seven Monday’s, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Normandale Recreation Center, 22400 Halldale Avenue in the Harbor Gateway.
All classes are instructed by local firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“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,” according to the CERT website, run by the Los Angeles Fire Department. “While people will respond to others in need without the training, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.”
In CERT training, citizens will learn to, manage utilities and put out small fires, treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock, provide basic medical aid, search for and rescue victims safely, organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.
CERT is a program certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and requires no previous knowledge to complete.
All participants in the interactive training series will listen to lectures and videos, in addition to participating in skills assessments and demonstrations.
The program focuses on “comprehensive emergency preparedness education and emphasizes the importance of preplanning and contingency planning to ensure the safety of family, friends and co-workers during times of crises.”
CERT Participants will practice treating life-threatening conditions through a method used by first responders called Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment, or START.
By the end of the course, trainees will be able to identify the proper courses of action and organize available resources according to the appropriate disaster situation. The course culminates with a disaster simulation during the final session.
Registration for the upcoming free CERT training is now open, participants must be 18 years or older. For more information on the CERT program, call 310-320-3027 or e-mail, girlscoutkaty@hotmail.com.
