The Grenada Emergency Management Association will host several Community Emergency Response Team training events during July and August.
The CERT program provides an effective first-response capability. Acting as individuals first, then later as members of teams, trained CERT volunteers can fan out within their particular area, extinguishing small fires, turning off utilities to damaged homes, performing light search and rescue, and rendering basic first aid. These trained volunteers also offer an important potential workforce to service organizations in non-hazardous functions such as shelter support, crowd control and evacuation.
Classes begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, July 12, and conclude at 9:30 p.m. They will continue from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 13. They will also be held the following Friday and Saturday, July 19-20, at the same times.
Classes are also scheduled from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, July 30, and Thursday, Aug. 1. On Friday, Aug. 2, classes will be held from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. followed by Saturday, Aug. 3, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. A Monday, Aug. 5, class will also be held from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m.
Two more weekends are planned for August. Classes will be held on Aug. 16-17 with times from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday. The final weekend for classes will be Aug. 23 and 24. Times are 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday.
To become certified, participants must take 24 hours of training.
The training teaches light firefighting, suspicious activity report, disaster medical, team organization, terrorism and disaster preparedness. Supplies are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis to those that live in Grenada County.
Please contact Grenada EMA at (662) 226-1076 to sign up for one of the upcoming classes.
