THE VALLEY, ANGUILLA – The Community Emergency Response Team Instructors, in conjunction with the Department of Disaster Management (DDM), conducted a 6-week Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training spanning September 23rd to October 24th to educate persons about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and train them in basic disaster response skills.
CERT is a voluntary programme about doing the greatest good for the greatest number through preparedness and people helping people. This is a positive approach through the empowering of community persons. The members can assist others in their community or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
Participants attending this training were:
• Oriented to community emergency response and disaster management theories.
• Provided with an overview in Community First Aid and Psychological first aid (signs and symptoms that might be experienced by a disaster victim and worker).
• Exposed to light search and rescue, fire safety and fire suppression techniques and demonstrations.
Facilitators at the training were the Anguilla Fire and Rescue Service, Anguilla Red Cross, Crisis Intervention Team and CERT instructors.
The training held at the Bethel Methodist Church Hall was very interactive and designed to help the participants to protect themselves, family and neighbours, should the need arise. Of the fifteen participants, Mr Joseph Richardson received the Most Outstanding award. The participants now have a better understanding and appreciation of hazards, how to prepare for and respond appropriately to local events.
The CERTs objectives and desires are to continue informing the public about disaster risk reduction. “We encourage safety first and it is imperative for the general public to be fully aware of this. We are also willing to assist any interested persons,” said Salih Abdur Raheem a Cert Instructor.
CERT is about encouraging persons to take an active role in emergency preparedness projects in their communities. The Director of Disaster Management remarked “We are making strides towards achieving a culture of safety in Anguilla and it is being displayed by the actions of the entire society to promote risk and vulnerability reduction”
For questions or further information please call the Department of Disaster Management at 264-497-2926.
Department of Disaster Management
30 October 2013
– Press Release
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
