Flooding, snow and ice, tornadoes, major fires, power outages, hazardous material releases, terrorism, and earthquakes are just some of the hazards and threats that may alter our way of life with little or no warning in Shelby County.
Disaster preparedness is knowing what to do before, during, and after unexpected events. Having the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to respond in your area before emergency professionals arrive on the scene may not only save your life, but those you care about as well. Being personally prepared is a shared responsibility we must all embrace.
The Shelby County Office of Preparedness HLS / EMA, under the direction of Bob Nations, Jr., is offering disaster preparedness instruction through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The class is free and open to anyone living in Shelby County.
Eugene Jones, CERT Coordinator, and his team of certified instructors, lead you through 16 hours of lectures, videos, and hands-on training that include fire suppression, medical first-aid and triage, disaster psychology, terrorism, light search and rescue, hazardous materials, team organization, and disaster preparedness.
The classes are held on two consecutive Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. At the conclusion of the class, students receive a CERT ID card and a 2-year certificate.
Classes are held at the CERT classroon at the Shelby County Emergency Operations Center, 79 South Flicker Street, Memphis, TN 38112.
The next open CERT classes are:
• Saturdays, February 18 and 25, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Saturdays, March 24 and 31, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
To pre-register, please email Eugene Jones at citizencorps@shelbycountytn.gov or call 901.515.2525. The classes are limited to 30 students.
CERT was created by the Los Angeles Fire Department in the 80’s to help citizens help themselves during the aftermath of a disaster. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) adapted their curriculum and CERT was then offered throughout the United States.
CERT is a Shelby County Citizen Corps initiative.
Instructor, Willie Hollinger, right front, teaches CERT
students leveraging and cribbing during the light search and rescue module
