Wilton’s volunteer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), in conjunction with the Wilton Department of Emergency Management has announced their annual disaster preparedness training program. Citizens are invited to become trained to help family, friends and neighbors in the event of an emergency or disaster.
CERT Instructors are certified by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, along with other instructors from Police, Fire and Emergency Medical Service who will assist in the training. The training will cover a variety of emergency skills: how to prepare for when a disaster strikes; fire safety, including how to extinguish small fires and how to evacuate a smoke filled building; basic first aid; disaster psychology; hazardous materials; and terrorism awareness. The training involves classroom and field practical exercises.
Upon successful completion of the course, graduates are eligible and welcomed to join Wilton CERT. As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Wilton CERT regularly provides assistance to first responders at large emergency incidents or public events. Wilton CERT has performed a broad range of deployment activities, including missing person searches and traffic- and crowd-control duties, along with staffing Wilton’s emergency shelter and distributing emergency food and water.
The class begins Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7-10 p.m., and is limited to 25 people. Please visit www.wiltoncert.org for information and to register online. Course participants must be 16 years or older. Upon successful completion of the program, participants 18 or older are also eligible to join the CERT Team. There is no cost for this training.
For further information, please contact John Stewart at jvstew@optonline.net or call 203.848.5937.