Branford response team begins training tonight

10/18/2007

Mark Zaretsky , Register Staff

BRANFORD — The town will begin training its first Community Emergency Response Team with a meeting at 6:30 tonight in the Police Department Community Room, said police Lt. Geoffrey Morgan, town director of emergency management. Volunteer CERT members will train for 11 weeks in a number of emergency management and homeland security areas, including fire safety, disaster medical operations, CPR, shelter operations, disaster psychology, terrorism and light search-and-rescue operations, Morgan said.

After finishing their training, CERT members will take part in a number of areas and assignments, helping the town with emergency management needs at times when Branford’s first responders — its police and fire departments — are taxed beyond their means to respond.

The CERT program is a nationally recognized program organized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Morgan said.

CERT teams operate under the thinking that the best source of help in an emergency or disaster is the paid or volunteer professionals — but if they are not available to address immediate, life-saving needs or to protect property, CERT members can help by supplementing the professionals, he said.

For more information, call Morgan at 315-3914.

Mark Zaretsky can be reached at mzaretsky@nhregister.com or 789-5722.