On Saturday, March 28, Town of Fairfield Fire Chief Richard Felner swore in eight new members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) at the Fairfield Regional Fire Training Center following their completion of a course taught on five Saturdays by various instructors.
CERT is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program which educates citizens about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. A local CERT may be activated for disasters and major planned events after approval by the Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security.