Solon Economou

Sheriff looking for disaster relief volunteers

New round of classes to be held in Orleans.

Barnstable County Sheriff James M. Cummings is once again offering public-spirited volunteers a chance to join one of his highly regarded Community Emergency Response Teams.           

To qualify for CERT you must be at least 16-years-old and willing to attend nine weekly training classes.  The early evening classes will begin on April 7^th, end on June 2^nd, and be held at Nauset Community School in Orleans.  Residents of all Cape communities are eligible.            

An earlier round of certification classes, held in Sandwich between early January and early March, has concluded.  This second opportunity is geared for mid to outer Cape residents. 

More than 275 individuals have been CERT-trained thus far and of those about 225 remain active.

CERT responders do not replace but rather supplement professional emergency workers.  Said Sheriff Cummings: "They are an important part of this county's preparedness plan, especially when the professional response has been temporarily overwhelmed or is still being mobilized.

"They are a collective finger in the dike," Sheriff Cummings concluded, "and that can make a big difference." 

CERT follows a national model established 14 years ago by the Los Angeles Fire Department and made more relevant by the terrorist strike on 9/11.  Sheriff Cummings praises the teams in a story published in the January-February issue of Sheriff magazine, trade publication of the National Sheriffs' Association.

There is no charge for classes and seating is limited to 25.  The slots always fill quickly, as happened with the first round of classes in Sandwich.  If you are 16 or older and interested, check the Sheriff's website (www.bsheriff.net).