Jefferson County Homeland Security & Emergency Management prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help citizens protect themselves, their family, their pets, neighbors and neighborhood in an emergency situation.

Community-based preparedness planning allows all to prepare for and respond to anticipated disruptions and potential hazards following a disaster. As individuals, citizens can prepare homes and families to cope during that critical period. Through pre-event planning, neighborhoods and worksites can also work together to help reduce injuries, loss of lives, and property damage. Neighborhood preparedness will enhance the ability of individuals and neighborhoods to reduce their emergency needs and to manage their existing resources until professional assistance becomes available.

With training and practice, and by working as a team, each participant will be taught to protect himself/herself and do the greatest good for the greatest number after a disaster. The training is designed for citizens with little or no training in the areas listed below, but those with some skills in these areas are also welcome to attend the training and participate in CERT. Homeowners or neighborhood groups, PTA’s, service and social clubs, churches, businesses, or a group of individuals from a neighborhood are ideal candidates for CERT training. The only requirements are that participants be over 18 years old and live or work in Jefferson County.

Basic skills are taught in the areas of: Disaster Preparedness, Fire Safety, Disaster Medical Operations I and II; Terrorism Preparedness and Crime Prevention; Disaster Psychology, Special Populations, Animals in Disaster; Light Search and Rescue and CERT Volunteerism. All students must participate in a final exercise and test at the end of the course.

Class Schedule: Classes are from 6 9 p.m. (Some class dates may change due to Instructor scheduling and weather conditions)

Wednesday, Feb. 3: Disaster Preparedness, Barbara Miller, Instructor

Thursday, Feb. 11: Fire Safety and Fire Simulation, David Holmes and Bryan Lavallee, Instructor

Wednesday, Feb. 17: Disaster Medical Ops I, Gene Rice, Instructor

Wednesday: Feb. 24: Disaster Medical Ops II, Gene Rice, Instructor

Tuesday, March 1: Light Search & Rescue, David Holmes, Instructor

Tuesday, March 8: Disaster Mental Health, Jeff Levesque, Instructor; Animals in Disaster, Sandee Niles, Instructor; and People with Special Needs, Sandee Niles, Instructor

Tuesday, March 15: Crime Prevention & Terrorism Awareness, Lt. Dave Colbert, Instructor

Wednesday, March 30: CERT Volunteerism, Test, Final Exercise & Graduation David Holmes and Bryan Lavallee

Classes will be held at the Jefferson County Maintenance Department Training Room, 128 Industrial Boulevard, Kearneysville, WV 25430. (Dates and locations are subject to change due to inclement weather, scheduling conflicts with either the instructors or the venue. All attempts will be made to stick with this schedule and enrolled students will be notified as soon as a decision has been made on rescheduling or changes that are necessary).

All classes are taught by professionals in the corresponding field of expertise.

All classes are provided at no charge to the participants. All participants who complete all sessions and the final exercise will receive a certificate of participation and be issued a hard hat and a CERT Vest. Any participant that does not attend all courses or that is late or leaves early will have to make up that section of the course when the next round of courses are offered.

Pre-registration is necessary and can be done by calling Sandee Niles at (304) 728-3329 or email to sniles@jeffersoncountywv.org to request a participant form. One can also find the CERT Participant Form as well as additional information by visiting: www.jeffersoncountywv.org/county-government/departments/homeland-security-and-emergency-management/community-emergency-response-team-cert-program.