The Northshore Fire Department is partnering with the Emergency Services Coordinating Agency to provide Community Emergency Response Team or CERT training to the citizens of the greater Kenmore and Lake Forest Park area. Thirteen local citizens recently completed CERT training that was provided at the Northshore Fire Department Headquarters.

CERT training is normally provided in eight evening sessions over an eight week period. The training provides basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

Citizens who are better prepared and capable of assisting in an emergency are a valuable component to a community’s emergency response efforts. Trained citizens can provide assistance or temporary mitigation of critical situations prior to the arrival of police and fire department personnel.

The agency will be holding two more CERT Academies in 2014, the next starting in April in Everett and then back in Kenmore in late September. For more information about the agency, emergency preparedness or future CERT Academies please visit the agency’s website at www.ESCA1.com.