CERT Teams Ready to Respond The CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) program started in 1985 in California at the Los Angeles Fire Department after authorities there witnessed the devastating earthquakes in Mexico City which claimed the lives of more than 10,000 people. Untrained volunteers saved almost 700 people, but 100 of those volunteers died in the process. To train volunteers around the nation to help in emergency situations and stay safe while they’re assisting, the CERT program quickly spread across the United States. The program is now administered by the Federal Emergency Management Association. The North Collier Fire Rescue CERT program started 10 years ago and has trained more than 1,000 Collier County community members to take the initiative Continued on page 15 12 ESTATES LOCAL • JULY/AUGUST 2017 Members of the North Collier Fire Rescue CERT teams get hands-on training so they are ready to respond in the event of an emergency, such as a hurricane or tropical storm. These volunteers play an important role in help keeping citizens safe. Photos Courtesy of North Collier Fire-Rescue
20283EL
To see the actual publication please follow the link above