| The City of Fort Lauderdale's Community Emergency | | | | each CERT member works closely with emergency |
| Response Team (CERT) will sharpen their skills at a | | | | personnel and other CERT members serving residents |
| disaster response exercise on Saturday, April 26, 2008 | | | | in their own neighborhoods, and if they choose to be |
| at Mills Pond Park. | | | | involved further, CERT members are eligible for |
| The exercise will simulate a tornado heavily damaging | | | | disaster assignments throughout the City. |
| a crowded recreation center at the Park. In this | | | | When CERT training is complete, graduates have a |
| scenario, graduates of Fort Lauderdale's CERT | | | | better understanding of the potential risks to homes, |
| Program will serve as first responders to the | | | | neighborhoods and workplaces. This knowledge |
| emergency. CERT members will engage in triage, | | | | enables CERT members to mitigate, prepare for, |
| patient treatment and transport, search and rescue, | | | | respond to, and recover from hazards in a more |
| cribbing and fire suppression. | | | | effective and efficient manner. |
| There is no registration fee to participate, however | | | | CERT training enables citizens to provide critical |
| pre-registration is required. The deadline to register is | | | | emergency services, including: |
| 5pm, Tuesday, April 22nd. Registration forms are | | | | + Establish a command post |
| available online at or by calling 954.828.6826. | | | | + Basic first aid |
| Event check-in for the April 26th exercise begins at | | | | + Fire suppression |
| 7am. The exercise runs from 9am - 1pm. The park is | | | | + Assessing assigned areas |
| located at 2201 NW 9th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale. | | | | + Performing light search & rescue and triage |
| Park users and neighbors should not expect road | | | | When professional help does arrive, CERT members |
| closures or inconveniences. The event is centered on | | | | provide useful information to responders and support |
| the grounds around the recreation center. | | | | their efforts. |
| The news media is invited to participate. | | | | CERT members can also volunteer to assist with |
| About CERT: Neighbors helping neighbors | | | | non-emergency projects that improve the safety and |
| Day and night, Fort Lauderdale's highly trained | | | | welfare of the community. |
| emergency personnel respond to calls within minutes. | | | | CERT history |
| During a major disaster, first responders may need | | | | The roots of CERT were developed by the Los |
| assistance. Fort Lauderdale's CERT program trains | | | | Angeles City Fire Department over 20 years ago. The |
| citizens to respond to emergencies in their | | | | Emergency Management Institute and National Fire |
| neighborhood. | | | | Academy adopted and expanded the training to be |
| Following a disaster, it's natural for citizen volunteers to | | | | applicable throughout the country for all hazards. |
| offer help. Without training, volunteers can be | | | | CERT is now a national, Department of Homeland |
| ineffective, or even worse, they risk causing injury or | | | | Security program. CERT is sponsored locally by Fort |
| death. | | | | Lauderdale Emergency Management and the Fort |
| With CERT training, volunteers learn to safely assist | | | | Lauderdale Fire Rescue Department. |
| themselves, family members and neighbors using basic | | | | The City of Fort Lauderdale has tripled the number of |
| emergency response and organizational skills. These | | | | training opportunities for CERT graduates since last |
| skills help save and sustain lives until professional | | | | year. Advanced training courses, assignments at |
| rescue personnel arrive. | | | | special events and training exercises help keep |
| How CERT training works | | | | members abreast of CERT organization and structure, |
| Fort Lauderdale's CERT is organized according to | | | | nationally standardized incident command procedures |
| standardized incident management principles, including | | | | and communications. |
| chain of command and span of control. As a volunteer, | | | | |