The Talbot County Department of Emergency Services is offering a free emergency planning and response course to county residents. The CERT (Community Emergency Response Training) course is designed to enable citizens to prepare for a disaster, and to mitigate the effects of that disaster. CERT is a twenty-one hour course that includes emergency preparedness, fire safety and fire suppression, emergency medical treatment, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and includes a final disaster exercise that utilizes skills and knowledge acquired during the course.
CERT is presented as seven three-hour classes, each Monday evening at 6:30 PM beginning on March 9th. It concludes with the disaster exercise on April 20th. All class sessions will be held at the Talbot County Operations Center located at 605 Port Street.
All class participants will receive a training manual and a CERT kit that includes personal protective equipment such as a flashlight, first aid kit, and high-visibility safety gear. Participants who complete the course will be awarded a certificate acknowledging their accomplishments.
In a widespread emergency such as a hurricane, public safety resources will be stretched to the maximum. CERT will enable residents to care for themselves, their families, and their neighbors until police, fire, and medical responders are able to reach their neighborhoods.
The curriculum is interactive, a combination of lecture and “hands-on” activities, and is open to all county residents. There is no charge for the class, but space is limited and you must register by calling 410-770-8160. For more information, contact Jim Bass, Emergency Management Coordinator, at 410- 770-8166 or email him at [email protected]. CERT is a program of Citizen Corps under the aegis of Homeland Security.
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