Glendale Police and Fire to Explain What to Do When Disaster Strikes

The following information was submitted by the Glendale Police Department. 

The Glendale Fire and Police Departments will host their fifth Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training session beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 18, from 6-10 p.m. Classes will be held at the Glendale City Hall Auditorium, 424 N. Sappington Rd.

In CERT, teams of citizens are trained to take care of themselves and then help others in their communities for the first three days following a disaster. This is when debris-clogged or damaged roads, disrupted communications or high volume of calls may prevent access by emergency response personnel. The purpose of CERT training is to provide citizens with the basic skills required to handle virtually all their own needs and then to be able to respond to their communities’ needs in the aftermath of a disaster.

The Community Emergency Response Team course consists of 20 hours of training, two nights per week for two weeks, plus one Saturday morning practical exercise. Classes are taught by Glendale Fire and Police Personnel who have received specialized training in the areas of Disaster Preparedness, First Aid, Fire Suppression, Disaster Psychology and Terrorism Response and Light Search and Rescue.

Classes will be held September 18, 20, 25, and 27, from 6-10 p.m. The practical exercise will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Glendale Fire Department website at www.glendalefd.com or contact Glendale Fire Captain Chuck Helle at 314-965-7097 or chelle@glendalemo.org.