CERT TRAINS RESIDENTS TO RESPOND TO EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

Richmond, March 4, 2008– The Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management is proud to announce that the next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class will be held in Richmond TX beginning May 6, 2008. Residents interested in being educated about disaster preparedness for hazards that may affect their community are encouraged to attend. The four-week CERT class will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm.  Classes will take place at the Fort Bend County Office of Emergency Management located at 307 Fort Street in Richmond.

County Judge Bob Hebert said “I call upon the citizens of Fort Bend County to serve in times of emergency by volunteering to train as a CERT member. The County is dedicated to the safety and security of all citizens of Fort Bend County and strongly supports this program.”  The 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.

“People who go through CERT training have a better understanding of the potential threats to their home, workplace and community,” said Fort Bend County CERT Coordinator Michael Kahlenberg.  “If a disaster happens that overwhelms local response capability, CERT members can apply the training learned in the classroom and during exercises to give critical support until help arrives.” Those interested in enrolling in the free CERT class can call Michael Kahlenberg, Fort Bend County CERT Coordinator at 281-342-6185 or by visiting the website at http://www.fortbendcountycert.com/

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