The Augusta-Richmond County Fire Department is urging citizens in the county to sign up for its free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.
The department will be sponsoring free CERT training starting Jan. 31 at the Old Central Ave. station. Seating is limited, so people from Richmond County will be given priority. The class will aim to teach citizens the skills to perform essential life-saving functions while waiting for professionals to respond to a disaster.
The classes are held once per week for 7 weeks on Thursdays and will be about 3 hours long. Topics will include disaster fire suppression, medical operations, light search and rescue, psychology, and team organization.
“This class does not make you a firefighter, but it does put you in a better position to help,” says Fire Chief/EMA Director Chris James. “I am urging all citizens to join the CERT Team and be a part of progress for our community.”