Community Emergency Response Team

Mayor Goettel visited the CERT display at the Remodeling Fair and expressed her support for the program!

Congratulations to Richfield CERT Volunteer Graduates!

CERT 2010 GRADUATION PHOTOS

CERT 2010 TRAINING SCHEDULE

CERT PRESENTATION

The Richfield Department of Public Safety has received grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Homeland Security to inaugurate Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training for Richfield residents.  The department is teaming up with Bloomington Police Department, Bloomington Fire Department and Bloomington Public Health for this program.

The Community Emergency Response Team Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains community volunteers in basic disaster response skills, such as emergency preparedness, fire suppression, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.   

Using the training learned in the classroom during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders need assistance or are not immediately available to help.  CERT members are also encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. 

CERT has several different facets that can be implemented including Teen CERT, Business CERT, and Fire CERT.  CERT philosophy is based on the axiom, “Help yourself, help your family, help your neighbors, and help your community”.

The first two CERT candidate classes graduated in November and December 2009!  Ongoing classes for the first quarter of 2010 for both new CERT candidates and ongoing training for CERT graduates are now scheduled.  See the link to the training schedule on this page for new candidates.  CERT graduates will be advised of ongoing training and exercises via direct e-mail and the soon to be inaugurated Richfield CERT website! 

CERT members are trained to function as teams of at least two for safety reasons; Neighborhood Groups should have two volunteers participate in CERT training if possible.

CERT members will learn necessary physical skills during training but this does not mean seniors should not participate!  In fact, senior communities are an important source of volunteers!

Program graduates will receive CERT equipment upon graduation from the program.  If you are interested in being trained as a CERT volunteer please download, complete and return the CERT Application Form below and return it to Lieutenant Jay Henthorne, Emergency Management Coordinator, at Richfield Public Safety, 6700 Portland Avenue, Richfield MN 55423.  To return your application via email or if you have any questions, please contact us at:  CERT@cityofrichfield.org.

We look forward to training and working with you!

CERT Application

For additional information about CERT, visit their web site.

   http://www.echominnesota.org/ind

 http://www.codeready.org/index.cfm