City Of Santa Clarita Offers Emergency Training For New Year

Posted by: KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 in Public Safety December 24, 2013 - 9:17 am 0 140 Views

The city of Santa Clarita is kicking off the new year with a seven-week Community Emergency Response Training class.

Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking Santa Clarita news alerts delivered right to your inbox.

The CERT program will teach residents basic survival skills in the face of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, fires, floods, hazardous incidents and other life-threatening situations.

Classes start on Jan. 16, 2014 and continue on Thursday nights from 6 to 9 p.m. until Feb. 27.

“The holiday season reminds us how important our loved ones are, and the CERT program is a fantastic way to keep them safe and protected,” said Mayor Laurene Weste. “By preparing for emergencies that can happen any time throughout the year, participants who complete the program will be able to walk away with skills that could be the difference between life and death in a natural disaster.”

CERT is a program certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and requires no previous knowledge to complete.

Students in the interactive training series will listen to lectures and videos, in addition to participating in skills assessments and demonstrations.

The program focuses on comprehensive emergency preparedness education and emphasizes the importance of preplanning and contingency planning to ensure the safety of family, friends and co-workers during times of crises. Participants will practice treating life-threatening conditions through a method used by first responders called Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment, or START.

By the end of the course, trainees will be able to identify the proper courses of action and organize available resources according to the appropriate disaster situation. The course culminates with a disaster simulation during the final session.

Participants must be 18 years or older. Classes are instructed by local firefighters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Registration for the CERT is now open at $30 per person, which includes all course materials and equipment. Residents can register online until spaces are filled, here.

For more information on the CERT program, call 661-250-3708 or click here.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.