The Cathedral City Fire Department has announced that it is currently accepting participants for its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class, scheduled for next month. The class is a prerequisite for becoming a certified member of Cathedral City’s CERT.
According to a post on the Cathedral City Fire Department’s Facebook page, the CERT training will take place on February 12 and 14 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on February 16 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. The course will be conducted at Fire Station 2, located at 32100 Desert Vista Rd. in Cathedral City. To receive certification, community members are required to attend the training on all three days.
The Facebook post further elaborates that the CERT program was established with the aim of forming a partnership between the city’s emergency response departments and community members. This collaboration seeks to enhance the city’s response capabilities during crises by enabling CERT-certified residents to provide life-saving assistance until city emergency response personnel arrive.
The Facebook post also highlights that the class equips community members with essential emergency response skills which can prove vital in saving lives during natural disasters, power outages, terrorist attacks, and public health crises. The three-day class covers an array of topics including an introduction to disasters and their impact on communities; understanding building hazards and non-structural items; fire hazards and firefighting tactics; patient assessment and treatment for various types of injuries; as well as understanding and coping with stress associated with disaster service work.
According to information available on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website, CERT training programs are offered by communities across the country. In fact, most cities in Coachella Valley regularly schedule CERT classes including Coachella, Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert, and Palm Springs.
