Departments of Enterprise Services, Homeland Security Offer New CERT Training for State Employees

By Rachel Friederich, ICSEW Communications Chair

LACEY--During a disaster, emergency service personnel may not be able to reach you right away. Would you know what to do to keep yourself and others safe and stable until help arrives?

State employees have the opportunity to receive training to get the necessary skills to help save lives and protect property in an emergency. State employees are invited to participate in a 3-day Community Emergency Response Team, CERT, training, sponsored by the region 3 of the Department of Homeland Security. The hands-on course will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 7-9 at the Thurston County Fairgrounds. Interested employees can register through the Washington State Learning Center (formerly LMS).

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the 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. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

A class description is available on the Department of Enterprise Services website.