Grass roots response team completes training

(CNS): The North Sound Gardens Citizens' Association (NSGCA) will officially become the second ever Community Emergency Response Team this weekend when it formally graduates from the specialist training programme. Fourteen members of the team have undergone nine (9) rigorous weeks of training with HMCI and the Red Cross to increase disaster preparedness and resilience at the grass roots level. The group has met every Friday to learn first aid-CPR, fire safety and suppression, disaster preparedness, stress management, disaster psychology, shelter management, initial damage assessment, vulnerability and capacity assessment.

Deputy Governor Franz Manderson will hand out the graduation certificates at a special ceremony this Saturday at 6:30pm at the Savannah United Church Hall.
The Belford Estates group was the first CERT team established under the Hazard Management Cayman Islands led initiative which is all about improving the community response to any disaster including but not limited to hurricanes.

The next team expected to graduate is a group in North Side group which begins training at the end of this month with the goal of becoming the third CERT team to graduate before the start of the 2012 hurricane season.