University Place, Wash. – West Pierce Fire & Rescue is taking registration for the upcoming Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) class for those who live or work within Lakewood and University Place. This free, 20-hour course aims to teach citizens how to prepare for, and respond to, disasters or extreme emergencies.
The classes will follow a model developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is offered in many communities across the United States. The idea behind this model is to teach people in neighborhoods how to help each other in the first few hours or days following a disaster, before emergency responders are able to get to them to render professional help. In the CERT classes, students will gain hands-on skills such as how to put out small fires, render first aid in a disaster situation, be safe around utilities, and perform light search and rescue.
The six classes will be taught by firefighters and paramedics who are subject matter experts. Classes begin on April 5th, 2016 and will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings for three weeks from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m., and culminate in a practical exercise to be held on Saturday, April 23rd from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Classes will be held at the West Pierce Fire & Rescue Station 21, located at 5000 Steilacoom Blvd SW in Lakewood. The course is limited to 25 students and there are no prerequisites, other than a desire to learn and help others. The classes are free!
For more information, the class schedule or to register, contact Rachel Adler at (253) 983-4564 or email cert@westpierce.org.