Name of Program: West Haven, Connecticut CERT
Geographic Area: West Haven, Connecticut
Point of Contact: Marguerite Showers
Phone Number: (203) 937-3567
E-mail address: mshowers@westhaven-ct.gov
Web site address:TBA - But in the meantime please use the one below. The
web site below will show all the cities and towns that have a CERT program in
place.
Brief Description:
West Haven Office of Homeland Security launched its first Community Emergency
Response Team (C.E.R.T) September 23, 2006 with 32 volunteers.
The theory behind C.E.R.T. is based on a simple observation: in major emergencies,
professional emergency services overload instantly. Every area in the world
has earthquakes and tornadoes, and the most common disasters are floods and
severe storms. Common mass emergencies include flood, hurricane, tsunami or
earthquake.
These can all create mass emergencies, and thus C.E.R.T. has a mission everywhere.
The most
basic goal of the C.E.R.T. program is preparedness. The belief is that a civilian
who receives the C.E.R.T. training is more likely to prepare in advance for
a major disaster and is aware of the proper steps to take after such a disaster.
This reduces the likelihood that they will need assistance from emergency responders
and thus relieves pressure on scarce resources such as rescuers and their equipment.
The next goal of the C.E.R.T. program is to provide an auxiliary force of trained
emergency workers who can respond to situations that are not life-threatening.
This can include anything from shelter management, light search and rescue operations
to paperwork and dispatch. These non-urgent or time-consuming tasks would otherwise
fall to the area's emergency professionals, diverting them from rescue operations.
The C.E.R.T program was held at the West Haven Police Station at no cost to
volunteers and is taught by certified and trained instructors. After successful
completion of the course graduating participants received an Award of Excellence,
C.E.R.T ID card, tool kit, and backpack from DEMHS (Department of Emergency
Management and Homeland Security).
