CERT training offered in August on Bainbridge

Published 9:54 am Saturday, July 30, 2016

Volunteers are being sought to serve on Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).

As a result of a partnership between the city of Bainbridge Island, Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management and the Bainbridge Island Fire Department, islanders will be able to attend free community emergency response training on Bainbridge.

CERT training teaches people about disaster preparedness and provides training in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

With their training from in and out of the classroom, officials said, CERT volunteers can assist others in their community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

The training is free, but participants will be asked to make a commitment to serve on a CERT team.

There are eight units being offered:

Bainbridge Island CERT Unit 1 and 6: Introduction to CERT and Disaster Preparedness (Aug. 22);

Bainbridge Island CERT Unit 2: Fire and Utility Controls (Aug. 29);

Bainbridge Island CERT Unit 3: Disaster Medical Ops 1 (Sept. 12);

Bainbridge Island CERT Unit 4 and 5: Disaster Medical Ops 2 and Search and Rescue (Sept. 26); and

Bainbridge Island CERT Unit 7 and 8: Disaster Psychology, Terrorism (Oct. 3).

To register, visit www.kitsapdem.org/classes.aspx.

For more information on CERT, visit www.fema.gov/community-emergency-response-teams. For details on the classes being offered on Bainbridge, visit the KCDEM website or call 360-307-5871.