CERT Training in Great Falls, 27-29 April 2022

[KA2ODP/7]

Although the CERT program has nothing to do with Amateur Radio or ARES, the training provides a lot of good information on responding to incidents such as natural disasters. Here in Cascade County, MT, the CERT program is administered through the Cascade County Disaster and Emergency Services (DES) office. I attended the CERT training course several years ago and found it very interesting and helpful. With ARES we tend to focus on radio communications. But what about the environmental conditions you will face in a disaster area? What hazards do you need to look out for as you attempt to set up your portable ham station? How do you stay out of the way of the First Responders trying to rescue injured persons? Consider CERT training to be a very useful "tool" to add to your ARES skill set.

What is CERT?

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the 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. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

The above information comes from the CERT website at: https://www.ready.gov/cert

The CERT training course will be offered in Great Falls!

Class Dates: April 27-29, 2022

Class Times: Wednesday and Thursday: 08:00-17:00, Friday: 08:00-12:00

Class Location: Cascade County DES facility in Great Falls (521 1st Avenue NW)

Please Note: Pre-registration is required!

Restrictions: Limited to 20 participants by authorities in Cascade County. As the class is in-person, it may be cancelled if the COVID situation makes the in-person format of the class inadvisable. (However, the current COVID situation in Cascade County is looking good.)

Point of Contact: For more information and to pre-register for the class, send an e-mail to: cascadecert@outlook.com