Sign up for CERT Disaster Preparedness Training

Nashua Office of Emergency Management will be promoting National Preparedness Month by once again offering free community emergency preparedness training in September. 

During National Preparedness Month, residents are encouraged to learn more about how they can be prepared for a disaster. 

“Part of being prepared means having an emergency kit, making a plan, and staying informed”, said Justin Kates, Nashua’s Emergency Management Director. “The Community Emergency Response Team training will teach you all of that, and more.” 

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. Participants will receive the national CERT certification upon completion. During training participants will learn the basics of emergency preparedness, disaster first aid, fire safety and utility control, search and rescue, and terrorism and active shooter awareness. 

CERT member Janet Hicks had this to say about the training: “I have always been interested in medicine. The CERT course was very well done, very thorough. I am 74 years old and I was very impressed with the amount of information I learned and am looking forward to the next course.” 

The CERT course is taught by emergency response professionals with a mix of classroom and hands-on activities. The live fire drill, one of the many exercises, teaches participants how to operate a fire extinguisher correctly. Greg Andruskevich said the CERT course gave him the skills he needed to be prepared for an emergency.

 “Taking the CERT course brought back the awareness we all must have in the event of a disaster situation in Nashua,” Andruskevich said. 

The class is being hosted at Dartmouth Hitchcock’s Nashua Campus three Saturdays in September the 14, 21, and 28, from 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. The course is open to all abilities, and free of charge. It is recommended that citizens sign up now, as previous classes have filled up quickly. To sign up for the course, visit www.nashuanh.gov/EMvolunteer. More classes will be scheduled in the future, and a waiting list will be formed if necessary.