Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is about communities taking control of their own disaster preparedness. As Hurricane Katrina clearly demonstrated, we need to be able to fend for ourselves in the event of a disaster or emergency. Being set in a rural location, response to a disaster in our area is going to be slow regardless of how efficient outside agencies such as FEMA are. Local fire departments may be overwhelmed and unable to respond to all emergencies as we are used to.

The North Coast of Mendocino County, California, is a unique area. Without citizens trained to assist local and outside agencies, resources will take much longer to get where they are needed. Many of our communities could become “islands” if a disaster were to compromise bridges, roads or other infrastructure required for regional or local access.

CERTs are your friends, your co-workers, your neighbors. We are organizing ourselves to be that “missing” component when local, State and Federal response cannot reach us in a timely manner. By training and organizing ourselves ahead of time, we can survive as communities up and down the North Coast—maintaining the hospitable, small-town feeling that our region is known for—should Mother Nature deal her worst. So far, more than 100 North Coast residents have completed CERT training.

CERT is about being prepared. By ensuring that as individuals, families, neighborhoods and workplaces are aware of the hazards of the region, we can make a difference for the better within our community and our Coast.

For more information, contact us at Classes@NorthCoastCERT.org.