The
Port Richmond Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is an active
neighborhood and community-based volunteer team committed to:
-
Inform and educate
their neighbors about disaster preparedness
-
Assist public
safety agencies and local community boards with public events
-
Respond to local
disasters in accordance with CERT protocols and support emergency
personnel upon their arrival and request
-
Assist agencies in
managing spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site
-
Participate in
community outreach opportunities.
Joining the Port Richmond Community Emergency Response Team is an
excellent opportunity for an individual who wants to volunteer time to
their community and be part of a team. Members undergo initial CERT
training (11-3 hour sessions) and continued awareness-level training
throughout the calendar year. Certain instruction modules are worth
college credits.
Initial CERT training includes: Incident Command System, Lite Urban
Search and Rescue, Fire Suppression, Triage, Traffic Control, Radio
Communications and Urban Emergency Preparedness. Graduates can choose
which specialty squad they wish to participate in. Members of the team
conduct periodic emergency response drills and training with our local
emergency preparedness first responders. The team also plans several
community outreach projects during the year. Since its beginnings, the
team has logged over 8,000 hours of community service.
