Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training will be offered at the Bergen Law and Public Safety Institute in Mahwah starting Wednesday, February 29 at 7 p.m. The training provides residents with basic skills and information on what to do before, during and after a disaster to aid themselves, their family and their community.

There is no cost to participate in the CERT training course which will begin on Wednesday, February 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will run for eight Wednesday evenings. At the completion of the program, basic CERT safety equipment will be issued to each participant. Class size is limited, so immediate registration is encouraged to insure a place in this class.

For more information, Mahwah residents can contact Allan Becker, Mahwah CERT Coordinator at 201-960-1932 or email mahwahcert@optonline.net for a course application or additional information. Or, visit the website.

Mahwah Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is made up of volunteer residents who are trained to support professional first responders (police, fire, EMTs, et al.) in all types of emergency situations while serving the community in other ways during normal times. CERT is part of a national program and is organized locally under the auspices of the Mahwah Office of Emergency Management.

According to CERT Officer and Mahwah resident Bill Deegan, taking the course is important for all residents, whether or not they want to join the team. He explains, in his own words, why:

"As we have seen with recent weather events in the region, people may be cut off from the utility grid or emergency services for an extended period of time.   The ice storms that brought down trees and power lines cut off roads and left people isolated without heat or electricity. Tropical Storm Irene left people homeless or with utilities cut off. Winter Blizzards have left people stranded and in peril in their cars on Route 287.

The CERT course is important for every town resident because it teaches how we can prepare for and cope with such emergencies and how to work together to help our family and neighbors when police, fire and medical services are not available. 

We are used to thinking we can pick up the phone, dial 911, and “they” will come. Fortunately, that is true the vast majority of the time. But in some disasters, the sheer scope of emergency can overwhelm those services. In those situations “we” have to do what we can for ourselves and our neighbors. The CERT course can help prepare us for that responsibility. 

And while it is not a requirement to take the course, some course graduates join the Mahwah CERT team to receive additional training and participate in community service events. For example, Mahwah CERT helped run the H1N1 clinic in 2009, opened shelters during blizzards and floods in the last 2 years and helped the Red Cross with flood damage assessment. We received additional training in CPR/AED, carbon monoxide awareness, shelter management, hazardous materials, radio communications, and many other topics. We work well together and welcome newcomers."

- Information from Mahwah CERT