Applications are due Tuesday for a free emergency preparedness course offered by the Peachtree City Police Department.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training has been very popular among participants, who learn basic disaster response skills during the 10-week course.
Training sessions cover disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, and team operations.
The training culminates with a disaster simulation in which participants practice skills that they learned throughout the course.
Applications are available at the library, police department and city hall. They also may be downloaded at www.peachtree-city.org/index.aspx?NID=613
CERT training is designed to prepare individuals to help themselves, their family and their neighbors in the event of a disaster with a particular focus on the first 72 hours. This is done by educating them on the hazards they face in their community and by training them in lifesaving skills they may need to use in the event of a catastrophic event.
CERT volunteers may also give critical support to first responders in emergencies by providing immediate assistance to victims, managing utilities and small fires, organizing spontaneous volunteers and collecting disaster intelligence.
The all-hazards training prepares members of the community, neighborhoods and workplaces to take a more active role in emergency planning for their area and to prepare themselves and others for disasters and emergencies.
CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
