City of Lakewood, Ohio

Lakewood Division of Fire
Lawrence Mroz Fire Chief Station 1: 14601 Madison Avenue Station 2: 18124 Detroit Avenue Station 3: 12567 Clifton Boulevard Lakewood, Ohio 44107 (216) 529-6656 Email Lakewood Fire Department

The Community Emergency Response Team (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. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills.

People who go through CERT training have a better understanding of the potential threats to their home, workplace and community and can take the right steps to lessen the effects of these hazards on themselves, their homes or workplace. If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community's professional response, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training.

The primary reason for CERT training is to give people the decision-making, organizational and practical skills to offer immediate assistance to family members, neighbors and associates while waiting for help. While people will respond to others in need without the training, the goal of the CERT program is to help people do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.

The CERT material was developed by the Los Angeles City Fire Department and adoped by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1993.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Lakewood CERT Team, please contact the Lakewood Division of Fire at (216) 529-6657.

For more information, click here for the Lakewood Community Emergency Response Team Website.

CERT TRAINING COMING
IN SEPTEMBER

The City of Lakewood and the other West Shore Communities will be offering CERT training to interested residents beginning Monday, September 15, 2008 at 6:30 PM. at the Westlake Service Facility, 741 Bassett Road. The course is approximately 20 hours and will take place on the Monday evenings from September 15 through October 27. The final practical exercise will take place on Saturday, November 1st at 9:00 AM. There is no cost for the training and course materials are provided.

The CERT program teaches skills to prepare residents in the event of an emergency or disaster to help themselves, their families and neighbors if police, fire and EMS cannot respond immediately. CERT training helps people to think clearly and act appropriately when faced with an emergency. Local emergency professionals lead the course.

To participate, you must be 18 years or older, live and/or work in one of the Westshore communities (Lakewood, Bay Village, Fairview Park, North Olmsted, Rocky River and Westlake) and pass a background check. Singles, parents and seniors are all encouraged to participate.

For more information or to register, please call Terri Richards, Lakewood CERT Coordinator, at (216) 529-6657 or Dale Kraus, West Shore CERT Coordinator, at (440) 617-4096.