PARAMUS, NJ — Paramus residents looking to be better prepared when emergencies strike have an opportunity to receive hands-on training through the borough's Community Emergency Response Team, with officials saying only a limited number of spots remain.
The Basic CERT Training Course runs from Sept. 29 through Nov. 10 at the Paramus Life Safety Complex and is being offered to Paramus residents ages 18 and older.
CERT, or Community Emergency Response Team, is a national emergency preparedness program supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FEMA. The program trains volunteers in basic emergency response skills so they can assist their communities when disasters or major incidents occur.
Participants will learn disaster preparedness, fire safety and utility control, basic first aid and triage, light search and rescue and disaster psychology.
Classes will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Life Safety Complex, 1 Carlough Drive.
Paramus CERT volunteers can assist the borough during larger emergencies and community events, including staffing the Emergency Operations Center, helping with searches for missing people, providing rehabilitation areas for emergency responders and assisting with traffic and crowd control.
The team also assists with large-scale funerals and events, maintains the borough's special needs registry and helps coordinate spontaneous volunteers during major incidents.
Formal CERT programs are not available in every Bergen County municipality, giving Paramus residents an opportunity to receive standardized emergency-response training and become part of an organized local volunteer team.
Paramus is also served by independent Jewish volunteer emergency organizations, including Bergen Hatzalah, Bergen Chaverim and Bergen Shomrim, which respond to calls in the borough while operating separately from Paramus' municipal 911 emergency services.
Paramus CERT accepts members beginning at age 16, although the upcoming training course is for residents 18 and older.
Residents interested in joining the team can email ParamusCERT@gmail.com.
