Citizen Corps' CERT expands
to Ogden-Spencerport residents

Following the success of the Community of Monroe Citizen Corps' Community Emergency Response Teams, the Town of Ogden and Village of Spencerport will become the first suburban community in the area to cultivate a CERT team. This happens as the rest of the nation gears up for National Preparedness Month. Community of Monroe Citizen Corps - Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and the Town of Ogden - Village of Spencerport, hosts the CERT Training.

Jeff Tewksbury, Emergency Preparedness Manager for the Town of Ogden, said the program has the ability to help residents be better prepared for disaster situations. "It's wonderful that Ogden/Spencerport can get in on the ground floor to pilot this program for other suburban groups. Safety starts in your own backyard, so what a better place than your own town or village to learn these important skills," Tewsbury said.

Classes begin September 28 and run through November 16. They will consist of three-hour modules, taught over an eight-week period with the class meeting every Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Ogden Highway office in the Emergency Coordination Center, 269 Ogden Center Road, Spencerport. The Homeland Security Management Institute of Monroe Community College will administer the training. Interested volunteers can call 585-234-2662 to register.

CERT's goal is to provide members in local neighborhoods with the necessary training to assist first responders in a disaster situation. Graduates receive 24 hours of training in: disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, disaster medical operations (Part I and II), light search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization. Through CERT, students are granted a variety of opportunities to learn more about ways they can prepare for an emergency, create an emergency supply kit, establish a family communications plan, and become better aware of threats that may impact communities.

The CERT concept was first developed and implemented in 1985 by the Los Angeles City Fire Department. For information about CERT and the Citizen Corps, visit the national websites at http://www.citizencorps.gov/programs/.