DeKalb CERT Team - Are We Prepared?

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We certainly got closer tonight, as five members of the Citizen Reserve met to refresh their CERT skills in preparation for the Regional CERT Challenge Competition this Saturday in Henry County. What an exciting opportunity for Reserve officers Elliott Fried, Hayne Palmer, Alex Lopez, Heather Roth, and Debi Taylor to represent DeKalb, network with other county CERT teams, and experience some good, clean sportsmanship in the process.

The CERT Challenge, happening on Saturday, April 4, is sponsored by the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) and will start at 11:30 a.m.

The CERT program is a partnership between emergency management, response agencies, and citizen volunteers, training individuals to make the community safer and better prepared for natural and/or man-made disasters. Through the program, citizens are trained in basic emergency response skills. In the event of large-scale emergencies, CERT members provide critical support to first responders by assisting victims and organizing volunteers at
disaster sites.

During the competition, teams from eight counties will compete in such events as Fire Suppression, Disaster Medical Operations, Disaster Psychology and Triage, and Search and Rescue.

For more information on how you can attend DeKalb County's FREE CERT training course, visit www.CitizenReserve.org.