By Gary Lloyd
TRUSSVILLE — The first community emergency response team module in Trussville will be Jan. 9 at the Trussville Civic Center.
Sponsored by the city of Trussville, the module will focus on disaster preparedness and last from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The course prepares citizens for hazards that may impact their area, and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Using the training, members of the response team can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event in which professional responders are not immediately available to help. Team members are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Other modules each week after that focus on fire safety and utility controls (Jan. 16), disaster medical operations (two parts Jan. 23 and Jan. 30), light search and rescue operations (Feb. 6), CERT organization (Feb. 20), disaster psychology (Feb. 27), terrorism and CERT operations (March 6), and graduation (March 13). All modules must be completed to graduate.
To enroll for the CERT course, email John Griscom at jgriscom@charter.net by Thursday.
A total of 17 homes were totally destroyed in the Pilgrims Rest subdivision in Trussville by an EF-3 tornado in the wee hours of Jan. 23, 2012. Seven were severely damaged and 31 were moderately damaged. In the nearby Legacy neighborhood, two homes were severely damaged, 18 moderately damaged and seven had minor damage.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.