Would you be able to help?

Become a Member of Weston’s Community Emergency Response Team!

Do you know how to take care of yourself and your family in the event of a disaster?  Would you be able to help them or your neighbors until help arrived?  The Community Emergency Response Team training offered by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Division of Fire Rescue, better known as CERT, will educate you about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact your area.  As a member of the program, you will learn basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

CERT training gives you a better understanding of the potential threats to your home, workplace and community and the steps you can take to lessen them.  If a disaster happens that overwhelms local response capability, CERT members can apply the training learned in the classroom and during exercises to give critical support until help arrives.  When help does arrive, CERT members provide useful information to responders and support their efforts, as directed, at the disaster site.  CERT members also assist with non-emergency projects that improve the safety of the community, such as distributing or installing smoke alarms, replacing smoke alarm batteries in the homes of the elderly, distributing disaster education material, and providing services at special events like parades, sporting events or concerts.

There are over 2700 local CERT programs nationwide, with more than 175 active teams in the State of Florida.  Each member of the Weston CERT  team has completed 24 hours of training in the areas of building construction, fire suppression, first aid, terrorism response, disaster psychology and disaster preparedness.  CERT members meet at Fire Station No. 81 on a monthly basis to keep up training and learn new skills.

Interested in joining Weston’s CERT team?

Contact the Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue at 954-389-2090.