Lake Elsinore Citizen Corps Hosting Free Disaster Preparedness Training

The following is a press release from the Lake Elsinore Citizen Corps:

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. In support, the -- with its mission to raising emergency disaster preparedness awareness, knowledge and best practices for safe conduct in a mass catastrophic situation -- has opened public enrollment for its free COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) training program being offered for the first time as an evening class.

According to LECC Training Coordinator Robert Mainwaring, “We normally pack our free 20-hour training session into an intensive three-day program over a weekend or on weekdays. This makes it tough for people that work during the day or who simply can’t make that span of time available to participate in the class. In our desire to make CERT training easily accessible to more folks in the community, we are very pleased to announce that we have scheduled Septembers CERT class into smaller time blocks over multiple evenings. It’s the same great class and training just in a "bite-size" time friendly format. Did I mention the classes are free?”

CERT training is a nationally recognized and taught course where ordinary people gain extraordinary knowledge and skills. Training includes emergency disaster preparedness and medical operations, fire safety and suppression, light search and rescue and community disaster planning. The course is made up of classroom and of hands on training geared to easily be accomplished for any adult with the desire to acquire skills of a safe, effectively trained walking asset. You will know what to expect and what to do not if.. but when a catastrophic disaster situation strikes.

CERT training is hosted by the Lake Elsinore Citizen Corps in cooperation with the city and training partnership with Cal Fire and other local emergency responders and agencies.

CERT classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings beginning September 18 and will continue over a three-week period ending on Saturday, October 6 with our renowned disaster simulation exercise where trainees take all of the knowledge gained over the course and put it to work in a “real world” disaster situation.

LECC Volunteer CERT Trainer, Barbara Hume added, “To keep our training at its best, class enrollment will be limited and we anticipate seats will go fast. If you always wanted to be a part of the solution in a disaster, this is a great way and time to get solid emergency training and be prepared for yourself, your family and community!”

For more information on the class and schedule details go to: www.lakeelsinorecc.org.

To enroll call Mary Zillox at 951-674-5170 or email: mzilliox@lake-elsinore.org.