Cranbury Township

PRESS RELEASE

Volunteers Needed for CERT Training Course 

Do you remember the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the feeling you had for wanting to help out with the relief effort? Well, your chance to become involved is here.

The Cranbury Township Office of Emergency Management is currently seeking volunteers for a Community Emergency Response Team. The CERT program, a nationwide initiative, helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. The training will also enable volunteers to better protect themselves and their families should a man-made or natural disaster occur. When emergency situations arise, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster sight.

CERT participants will be required to undergo twenty hours of instruction over an eight-week period. Classes would be taught by emergency responders, including firefighters, emergency medical personnel and law enforcement professionals from around the community. The program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and medical operations. CERTs have been used to search for missing children, assist with environmental emergencies, staff emergency operation centers and to assist relief organizations with mass care.