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C.E.R.T. training planned
(by Kathryn A. Burger - September 23, 2008)
This month, the borough’s Office of Emergency Management has been participating in the national initiative to raise awareness of the importance of being prepared for any type of emergency.
September 2008 marks the fifth annual National Preparedness Month, a nationwide initiative sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security to encourage Americans to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies. It is also the ninth anniversary of tropical storm Floyd. Severe weather and the breaching of a dam just over the New York State border wreaked havoc on the Pascack Valley on Sept. 16, 1999.
The Park Ridge OEM has emphasizes the importance of the four steps of preparedness that National Preparedness Month has focused on this year: get a kit; make a plan, be informed and get involved. The information has been distributed through the schools and broadcast on the borough’s cable access station, where the documentary, “Floyd Comes to Park Ridge,” has also been re-aired.
Joan Valas, the borough’s OEM coordinator, said training for the borough’s Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) will be offered soon. “We will be recruiting volunteers to serve on the C.E.R.T. and providing the necessary training.” Valas said all municipalities are required to establish a C.E.R.T. program. The other seven towns in the Pascack Valley have them.
At www.citizencorps.gov/cert, the C.E.R.T. program is described as one that “educates people about disaster preparedness… and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.”
Valas said, “Volunteers will be needed in various capacities and areas of expertise.” As plans for training proceed, the OEM is encouraging residents to consider volunteering. The OEM had a table at Park Ridge Day to raise awareness about the program and the need for volunteers. For more information about the OEM and volunteering, call 201-822-3175.
The OEM also plans to launch a new Web site to provide direct access to information and services and information about training.
Information contained in this article was provided by the Park Ridge OEM. For information about C.E.R.T., visit http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert.
Kathryn A. Burger's e-mail address is burger@northjersey.com.
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