Costa Mesa hosts first multi-agency Community Emergency Response Team workshop
Costa Mesa recently hosted the
inaugural Southern California Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Workshop to connect, coordinate and train CERT instructors and program
managers and to create more resilient communities.
More than 100 CERT programs
throughout California were represented at the daylong event that was
coordinated by Brenda Emrick, the Costa Mesa Fire Department's
community education and CERT program manager.
Training courses included advanced programs, instructor development
and crisis communications. As the host city, Costa Mesa was assisted by
its own CERT program volunteers—Dottie Garrett, Bobbie Bradley and
Cindy Brenneman—who helped organize and register the nearly 160
participants.
The event was sponsored by CaliforniaVolunteers, a state office that
manages programs and initiatives aimed at increasing the number of
Californians engaged in service and volunteering.
CERT 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.
(Pictured in photo from left: Mike Staley, CaliforniaVolunteers; Chad
Fitzgerald, State Workgroup Co-Chair, Clovis Fire Department; Wilson
Lee, State Workgroup Co-Chair, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department;
Costa Mesa Fire Chief Dan Stefano; and Brenda Emrick, Costa Mesa CERT
coordinator.)
CERT workshop volunteers (from
left): Brenda Emrick, Dottie Garrett, Bobbie Bradley, Cindy Brenneman,
Erica Arteseros (San Francisco CERT program manager), and Carol Parker
(Menlo Park Fire District CERT program manager).