Deaf Niche CERT, or Community Emergency Response Teams, is an essential training that many in a community should take. The CERT Training has been designed by experts from FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to educate individuals and help them prepare for emergencies and hazardous situations. Every area and location is prone to certain hazards and being prepared to take the necessary action during such times can save losses, lives, and resources. The training aims at educating individuals for basic disaster response skills. The possible hazards include: fire safety, earthquake protocol, search and rescue, team organization and carrying out medical operations.
In an emergency, waiting for officials and professionals may take long and result in a big loss to life and resources. With trained CERT volunteers, the operation and rescue can start out immediately and as a result the amount of loss can be minimized by a great extent. Being a CERT trained volunteer makes you responsible, prepared and ready to take instant action in a time of emergency. Today, many corporations and organizations hold CERT training for their employees to extend the level of security and preparation within their organization.
The importance of CERT training has increased so much that today it is being offered in Sign Language for the deaf. The second program for the deaf took place in Coweta, Georgia. Aaron Shoemaker is the first to teach the training course completely in ASL, no books were used.
The CERT training for the deaf highlights the awareness of accessibility and increases the amount of volunteers ready to help in times of emergencies. The training is delivered in sign language and includes all the necessary information, needs and factors that need to be kept in mind for complete preparation of the volunteers. Being deaf is in no way a hindrance for being a prepared CERT trained volunteer and a valuable asset to their community.
The CERT training is not a new concept but is gaining popularity as people are realizing its importance. The more CERT trained volunteers we have the easier it is to carry out emergency operations and reduce loss. This training has helped community members take control of emergency situations in the past and aims at involving more community action and less dependence on government services, which is encouragement to attend your local CERT course!
Currently, the following known cities offer CERT training in ASL:
- Riverside, CA
- Tulsa, OK
- Coweta, GA
Original article: CERT Training for the Deaf Makes History in Georgia
FEMA website: FEMA.gov
