The nationwide CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) organization trains citizens about disaster preparedness as well as how to provide initial assistance to their families, neighbors and community during large medical emergencies and disasters (such as hurricanes and tornados).
CERT members are taught to render first aid and auxiliary services until professional emergency responders arrive on the scene.
The more than 300 CERT members are organized into a military-style operation with a commander, a command/ administrative staff, 10 first responder squads (soon to be 11), a medical team and a security team. CERT’s headquarters are at The Villages Paradise Fire Station and CERT reports to the chief of The Villages Public Safety Department.
During an unforeseen emergency, CERT members can self-deploy from their homes or, with advance notice (such as a hurricane), can mobilize and be deployed anywhere in The Villages or throughout the state.
CERT receives limited formal funding and, therefore, relies on charity events and donations from other social organizations, community businesses and individuals to maintain member training and provide emergencies supplies.
As The Villages continues to grow, currently at more than 100,000 residents, the need for more CERT members, supplies and equipment also increases. Just as diverse as the population of The Villages, so is the background of CERT’s members. Our members come from throughout the United States and around the world. They bring with them talents, skills and professional experience from very diverse work environments such as medical, elderly care, logistics, transportation, public safety and communications industries to name a few.
“We encourage our members to maintain and share their knowledge and skills they have developed by volunteering to teach and relate these experiences to further the mission of our organization. No special skills or experience are required to join CERT. We will train you,” said Villager Richard Cunningham of CERT.
The next Basic Class will be Feb. 2 thru March 13. All classes will be from 9 a.m. to noon, Mondays and Fridays at the Bacall Recreation Center. This 36-hour course of classroom and hands-on instruction covers such topics as: disaster preparedness, fire safety, search & rescue, disaster psychology, and medical operations (including first aid, CPR, AED and the Heimlich maneuver).
At course completion, new members participate in a mock disaster drill, simulating the types of emergencies that might be encountered. After that, they are assigned to one of the field teams based on their preferences and home location within The Villages. In order to retain CERT certification, all members are required to be tested and recertified in all of these skills every two years. Continuing training is also offered on a monthly basis as are team meetings and tri-annual General Meetings.
“It is interesting to note, that in conjunction with the CPR/AED program initiated by our sponsoring agency, The Villages Public Safety Department, the sudden cardiac arrest recovery rate in The Villages is about 46 percent compared to a 7 percent national average,” Cunningham said.
CERT provides first aid and traffic control services at virtually every major event, festival and parade in The Villages, including all services at the Veterans Memorial Park.
This, in turn, takes a great burden off the Public Safety Department and allows them to concentrate on immediate, more serious incidents or medical emergencies, Cunningham said.
“In 2013 our CERT members generated over 10,000 volunteer hours in the areas of training, first aid services, traffic control and public service (such as the Hurricane Expo and Government Day events),” he said.
“CERT is unique in that we train for the worst, but hope we’re never needed. However, the skills learned by members can be used in everyday life and we hope our efforts help ensure that living in The Villages remains a safe and enjoyable lifestyle,” he added
For additional information, call 674-2948 or visit: www.certofthevillages.org
