Ogden, Spencerport praised
for emergency preparedness participation

Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks appealed to local residents when she sounded a call to service, asking them to help with efforts to protect our community and enhance emergency preparedness. At a press conference held at the Ogden Town Office of Emergency Preparedness, Brooks proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month in Monroe County in collaboration with agencies and municipalities all across the nation. Brooks outlined the mission of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) and applauded Ogden's Village of Spencerport for its local CERT Program.

"In the post 9-11 world, Americans must be willing to capture the spirit of selflessness and commit to playing an active part in homeland security," said Brooks. That is why I urge citizens to join Community Emergency Response Teams like those being formed in Spencerport. I am pleased to join with officials across the nation today as we declare September National Preparedness Month."

The mission of the CERT program is to make the community safer, stronger and better prepared to respond to threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues and disasters of all kinds through education, training and coordinated volunteer service.

The goal of the CERT program is to train residents of towns and neighborhoods in basic emergency response skills. Participants will receive 24 hours of training in: disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, CPR and AED, disaster psychology and team organization.

"In the case of an emergency that overwhelms or delays the community's professional responders, trained CERT members can partner with the American Red Cross and give critical support, provide immediate assistance to victims and organize volunteers at the site of the event," said Becky McCorry, director of Disaster Services for the Greater Rochester Chapter of the American Red Cross.

For information about CERT and the Citizen Corps Programs, visit the national website at www.citizencorps.gov/programs. For information about Spencerport's CERT program contact Ogden's Preparedness Manager Jeff Tewksbury at (585) 352-2183.