Community Emergency Response Team classes will be offered in March and, in light of recent snow events here in the Big Bear Valley, the Big Bear City Fire Department notes that CERT training is a great opportunity for Big Bear residents to learn how to better take care of themselves in a disaster situation, while also being prepared to help your neighbors during times of emergency. Since the CERT program began in 1998, there have been over 250 graduates in our community, all of whom are trained as emergency service volunteers, ready to respond not if but when there is a disastrous situation, be it fire, flood, windstorm or earthquake. CERT members are trained to handle crises within their area—by extinguishing small fires, turning off natural gas inlets to damaged homes, performing light search and rescue, and administering basic first aid—until emergency personnel arrive on scene. The CERT training sessions, which will be offered evenings the week of March 15, are provided at a cost of $10 per individual, and are open to all residents of the Big Bear Valley. To sign up for the five-course series, and ultimately contribute to the disaster preparedness plan for our community, call the Big Bear City Fire Department at 585-2362.
