About Peachtree City CERT

As emergency/disasters operations often overwhelm conventional emergency services, local government agencies continuously look to citizens for assistance. When responding to these emergencies, delays of hours or even days may occur. CERT recognizes that a well-prepared community is a vital resource to professional first responders and understands the value of "basic skills training". Realistically, it is not a question of "if" Peachtree City will face a disaster, but "when." CERT is about being prepared for that disaster, whenever or wherever it comes.

In 2005, the police department recognized emergency/disaster preparedness training as a potential problem and decided to look to our citizens for assistance. After exploring a number of possibilities, Captain Stan Pye (the department's CERT Coordinator), incorporated the CERT program as a part of the police department's emergency operations planning. Since then, the CERT program has been a catalyst in providing citizen volunteers with all-risk, all-hazards training, as well as training in preparedness and hazard mitigation. Additionally, the program has provided invaluable assistance by supplementing manpower and resource capabilities for the city's public safety first responders in the event of an emergency.

CERT training emphasizes personal accountability for self, family and community by stressing the importance of personal preparedness and accountability. Prior to an emergency, CERT members are expected to have an awareness of their own neighborhoods, and to pre-determine possible evacuation routes and sites that will facilitate effective, safe and rapid response during an emergency.

The program's training also provides participants with an effective and efficient first response capability that, when applied correctly, can be accomplished without placing CERT members or their families in unnecessary danger. The Peachtree City CERT program is slightly unique in its approach to basic CERT training. In fact, Peachtree City's program has an expanded ten-week course curriculum, where CERT members can expect to learn how to:

• Manage utilities and extinguish small fires
• Treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock
• Provide basic medical aid
• Search for and rescue victims safely
• Organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective
• Collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts
• Operate a chainsaw safely and conduct traffic direction and control

 

Additionally, the Peachtree City CERT program offers its students, free of charge, the opportunity to become CPR and AED certified.

After the graduation of its inaugural class of September 11, 2005, community and business leaders, as well as members of several local civic organizations, began to take an interest in the program. Subsequent classes have been filled to capacity. In 2011, the program counted in its ranks 490 adult members and 84 teen members, for a total of 574 graduates.

The year 2011 was very successful as shown in our 2011 Timeline.