City Of Del Mar: Spring 2021 CERT Academy Begins April 12

Press release from the City of Del Mar:

March 25, 2021

The spring 2021 academy for Community Emergency Response Teams in Del Mar and neighboring communities begins April 12. The training schedule includes four online meetings and one session each at fire stations in Encinitas and 4S Ranch.

CERT volunteers are trained to help themselves, their families and neighbors in the event of a wildfire, earthquake or other catastrophic disaster. During a crisis, with emergency responders spread thin, volunteers with CERT training can save lives and protect property.

The training covers skills that are important to know during a disaster, when emergency services might not be available, such as the basics of search and rescue, first aid and the workings of incident command systems.

During a wildfire event, CERT volunteers might be assigned to extinguish small fires, turn off natural gas service to damaged homes, perform light search and rescue and render basic first aid. Trained volunteers also can work in emergency shelters and assist with crowd control and evacuations.

CERT programs operate in all 50 states and in many tribal nations and U.S. territories. Nationwide, more than 2,700 local CERT programs have received the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s accreditation.

Del Mar’s CERT covers all of Del Mar and the City of San Diego between Carmel Valley Road and Via de la Valle a portion of the 92014 ZIP code north of Via de la Valle and east of Interstate 5.

The Del Mar CERT is trained to activate the City’s emergency operations center in the Town Hall of the Del Mar Civic Center, where emergency managers and key members of the City’s staff would gather. The facility is equipped with solar power as well as an emergency generator.

An array of communications equipment – including the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network and a retractable, 30-foot-tall antenna – is housed at the facility.

Open the 2021 Spring CERT Academy schedule

Open Del Mar’s CERT webpage

This press release was produced by the City of Del Mar. The views expressed here are the author’s own.