The Newport News Fire Department - Division of Emergency Management is currently accepting applications for its fall Community Emergency Response Team, (CERT), training. When disaster strikes, first responders can become overwhelmed and/or streets can become impassable due to flood waters, down trees and power lines. In an emergency, minutes count and it is human nature for Good Samaritans to take action until professional first responders arrive. The CERT program is designed to provide citizens with basic first responder training in emergency medical operations, light search and rescue and incident command. Ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they make organized and safe decisions to save lives during an emergency or disaster.
The free training begins with cloud-based modules that participants will be given access to in late August. The online training is a prerequisite for the hands-on training that will follow. Instructor led classes are held in an immersive and fast-paced environment each Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The fall classes begin September 12th through October 17th for a total of six required training sessions. On Saturday, October 19, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., students will be challenged with a simulated disaster that results in many casualties, requiring them to come together as a team and apply their new skills to take lifesaving actions. 100% attendance is required to become certified as a Community Emergency Response Team member. Class size is limited to the first twenty applications.
An application may be downloaded by going to www.nnva.gov/631. Completed applications should be emailed to dperry@nnva.gov.