CERT Teams Sharpen Disaster Response Skills
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) from several Regional Corporations gathered in Penal over the weekend for simulation exercises aimed at strengthening disaster preparedness at the community level.
The exercises formed part of the preliminary rounds of the National CERT Simulation Games, bringing together teams from Penal/Debe, Siparia and Princes Town.
Participants demonstrated practical skills, including chainsaw safety, lifting and carrying techniques, and first aid manoeuvres, as part of preparation for the National Finals scheduled for May.
Senior Disaster Management Coordinator at the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government, Jerry David, said the programme is designed to build resilience by equipping ordinary citizens to respond when disaster strikes.
« This is part of building community resilience. We have been teaching individuals for years how to recognise, respond and recover whenever disasters impact their community. This is about understanding what happens when hazards are in your community, what to do. It is also about developing a management system so that individuals are always aware of where they are, what are their limits, what assets they have, and how they can impact a community that has itself been touched by some hazard. »
He emphasised that community members are often the first responders during emergencies, long before official services arrive.
« Individuals are the first persons in their community to respond to any disaster. You’re not going to see the police. You’re not going to see the fire service. You’re not going to see the Coast Guard. The first people you would see in your community when something impacts will be your neighbours. So it is important that neighbours know how to help neighbours and that is what Community Emergency Response Team is all about. »
