Media Release

February 9, 2009

2:30 p.m.

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL - The Alachua County Division of Emergency Management has begun enrolling citizens for its Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program.

It is never too early to begin preparing for the 2009 Hurricane Season, and there's no better way than to attend the CERT program. CERT teaches citizens how to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. The next CERT class is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 and runs through April 14th.

The seven week class is free-of-charge to the public and covers the following topics:

• Disaster Preparedness
• Fire Safety
• Disaster Medical Operations
• Light Search and Rescue Operations
• CERT Organization and Disaster Psychology|
• Terrorism and CERT

The seven classes are on Tuesday evenings, and each session runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Classes are held at the Alachua County Emergency Operations Center located at 1100 SE 27th Street in Gainesville. Registration deadline is February 24th.

If you miss the deadline, or can't make it to the classes listed above, there are two more scheduled classes this year. There will be classes beginning May 5th, and September 1st.

More information about CERT is available online by clicking here. 

If you would like to register, or you have any further questions, please contact the Office of Emergency Management at 352-264-6550.

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