It’s never too late to prepare.

Officials agree that the Pacific Northwest is due for a large earthquake on par
with those that recently hit Japan.

Terrorist attacks are a real threat.

Chemical spills in the course of transport happen despite industry standards
and mandatory precautions.

In addition to these emergencies, personal disasters such as house fires occur
across the country every 80 seconds.

These are all real risks for each of us. But preparation empowers individuals,
households, and entire communities to anticipate and respond to disaster.
An excellent, and locally available, first step in preparing is to take a
Community Emergency Response Team class.

A free CERT course will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., March 3 and March 10
(both days) at Mt. Hood Community College. Register by visiting
http://cert.doattend.com.

CERT is a Federal Emergency Management Agency program designed to
prepare citizens to help themselves, families, and neighbors in the event of
disaster.

Throughout the region coalitions called Citizen Corps Councils serve as a hub
for disaster mitigation, planning, response, and recovery training. These
councils often incorporate Community Organizations Active in Disasters. They
are the “go to” groups for coordination of public, private and individual
disaster response. CERT is one of the programs housed within this umbrella.

CERT training provides a greater understanding of the hazards we face in this
area. It is a no nonsense training that focuses on life threats and provides
students with the correct steps to reduce the effects of these hazards.

Following a major disaster, those we consider “traditional first responders,”
fire, medical, and security services providers will initially be overwhelmed and
unable to meet the significantly increased demand for their services.

Factors such as a large number of injured, widespread communication
failures, and road blockages will prevent emergency services from accessing
many areas.

People will have to rely on neighbors, coworkers and friends for help with
immediate needs.

CERT training makes that a reality.

The training provides: facts about what to expect during various disasters;
guidance regarding citizen responsibility; life saving skills; fire safety;
terrorism and hazardous materials awareness; basic first aid; light search and
rescue; and disaster psychology.