I attend the University of North Alabama, and in my university e-mail i received a message about free CERT training classes. CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. from my understanding you don't have to attend the university to go to the classes. The local police department in conjunction with the university and some others are having these classes to educate the public and assemble a group of volunteers possibly. The first class is thursday, September 12th from 6 - 8 pm in the GUC (on UNA's campus, Guillot University Center) in the loft. The following is copied directly from the email i got
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"The University of North Alabama Police Department in cooperation with the Florence Lauderdale Office of Emergency Management are working together to establish a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) team. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Our CERT team will be made up of volunteers from the University of North Alabama, City of Florence and Lauderdale County. This group will train together and prepare for all types of hazards. The University Police Department has two trailers filled with equipment, tools, electronics, and other valuable equipment to ensure that each member is adequately prepared to handle all types of incidents. In the event of a disaster, the UNA CERT team would respond to assist the community, and work side by side with local emergency responders.
The University Police Department will have the trailer and equipment on display during the Big Deal Event, at the UNA Memorial Amphitheater on Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 6pm-8pm . There will be an informational meeting in the GUC Loft on August 27th from 3pm-4pm.
We encourage Faculty, Staff and Students to visit our display and become part of the UNA CERT Team. If you're interested taking advantage of this opportunity, and becoming part of our team please visit our display at the Big Deal or attend the informational meeting on August 27th. For more information contact Sgt. Terry Parker with the UNA Police Department at tmparker1@una.edu or 256.627.6882."