Community Emergency Response Team or CERT is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program that helps educate citizens about hazards and trains them in lifesaving skills so that they are better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, emergency services can be overwhelmed. The Mississippi Office of Homeland Security works with local governments and agencies throughout the state to offer CERT training that is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation or in the aftermath of a disaster. The purpose of CERT training is to provide citizens with the basic skills required to handle virtually all their own needs and then be able to respond to their communities' needs in the aftermath of a disaster. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. While people will respond to others in need, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger. In the CERT training, citizens learn to: • Manage utilities and put out small fires. • Treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding and treating for shock. • Provide basic medical aid. • Search for and rescue victims safely. • Organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective. • Collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts. The Indianola CERT team is seeking volunteers to join the effort. The members consist of Betty Bowens-Petty, LaVon Thompson-Hutchins, Debra Hayes-Bailey, Mattie Tucker, Jermaine Cole, Jarrod Redmond, Robert Campbell, A.D. Bailey (Team Leader), Jeffrey Robinson, Clarence Hawkins, Marquavious Wade and Mayor Ken Featherstone.
