Public invited to sign up for emergency response training

A CERT training exercise in Bailey’s Crossroads this spring.

A new Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) basic training course will start in Annandale Oct. 1.

The CERT program is a set of free classes offered by the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department to teach residents how to prepare for and help themselves, their family, and their neighbors during a natural disaster or other emergency. 

The Annandale course takes place on four Saturdays, Oct. 1, 15, and 22, and Nov 5, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Capital Baptist Church, 3504 Gallows Road.

CERT training follows the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) curriculum, tailored to local disasters and hazards. It covers disaster response skills, such as fire safety, search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Participants don’t need to be physically strong.

The course culminates in a simulated disaster exercise with “extras” playing the role of injured victims.

For more information, contact Gary Nisker, CERT volunteer coordinator, [email protected].