Boone County News Release
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Thompson
Planning & Preparedness Specialist; CERT Program Manager
Email: ethompson@boonecountymo.org
Phone: 573-554-7900
Boone County Office Of Emergency Management Offers Community Emergency Response Team Training
February 23, 2022 –The Boone County Office of Emergency Management will conduct Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training through the month of March in-person for the first time since 2019. This is a free, community training. To take the CERT Basic Training course, participants must:
- Be a resident or employed in Boone County. Non-county residents wishing to participate will be admitted on a case by case basis.
- Be at least 18 years old.
The CERT Program was developed by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985 when they realized that the impact of disasters could be lessened if citizens were more prepared through disaster survival training. The training they created was adopted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1994 and expanded into a nationwide program under Citizen Corps. There are now thousands of CERTs in communities across the country.
In the event of a major emergency or disaster within the County, the reality may be that public safety resources will be overwhelmed. CERT education is intended to lessen the impact of disaster on participating individuals, and enable them to aid family members, neighbors or coworkers immediately following an emergency until responders arrive.
The CERT Basic Training provides individuals who complete this course with the basic skills required to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services are not immediately available. By working together, CERT volunteers can help save lives and protect property using the basic techniques in this course. The target audience for this course is individuals who desire the skills and knowledge required to respond to a disaster.
This course is delivered over four weekly sessions and one all-day session. During the training, participants will receive a combination of lecture and hands-on skills training. Participants will take a written exam and receive a certificate indicating successful completion of the course. The 2022 CERT Basic Training course will follow the schedule below:
2022 CERT Basic Training Schedule |
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Date |
Time |
Topic |
March 2 |
6:00-9:00pm |
Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness |
March 9 |
6:00-9:00pm |
Unit 3: Disaster Medical Operations Part 1 |
March 16 |
6:00-9:00pm |
Unit 5: Disaster Psychology |
March 23 |
6:00-9:00pm |
Unit 6: Fire Safety & Utility Controls |
March 26 |
9:00am-4:00pm |
Unit 7: Light Search & Rescue |
Participants MUST pre-register to attend and cannot miss more than 10% of the total course to be eligible for completion. This course has a 20-participant maximum and a 10-participant minimum. Should the course be cancelled due to low participation, you will be contacted by the Boone County CERT Program Manager no less than 24 hours prior to the beginning of the course.
To register for the course, please visit our website at www.showmeboone.com/oem/training/cert
Registration deadline is this Friday, February 25, 2022.
Contact Elizabeth Thompson, Planning & Preparedness Specialist and CERT Program Manager for more information at 573-554-7900 or EThompson@boonecountymo.org.
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