city of mason cert

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) stands ready to assist should a disaster ever occur in Mason. Team members assist their neighbors and fellow citizens until professional responders can take over. Members are trained in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Training occurs in two parts—an initial training session and an annual exercise. The initial training takes place over a few weeks, meeting one night a week. Members learn the proper use of fire extinguishers, cribbing techniques for securing fallen objects, and other emergency procedures. The capstone of the training is the disaster exercise at the end of the training. On an annual basis, an exercise is held to simulate a mock disaster.

Team members may also be called upon to assist with other activities, such as wellness checks in neighborhoods without power or assisting with public events. As the City of Mason CERT members are trained, they will be utilized in the Mason area on more routine basis.

If you would like to join the Community Emergency Response Team, please fill out and return an application. A member of the City of Mason CERT team will contact you after your application has been reviewed.

As part of the community’s emergency preparedness plan, it is important for families to make a plan for contacting family members and decide on a meeting place where everyone will go after an emergency strikes. Individual families are encouraged to think about the unique needs of each family member: Does anyone have medications that they need on a daily basis? Are there elderly or disabled members of the family who might need assistance getting out of their residence? Have you thought about how you will care for your pets? These are just some of the things that you need to plan for.

CERT encourages all local citizens to develop emergency preparedness plans and emergency supply kits. You can get more information about emergency preparedness kits and plans on the “Citizen Preparedness” page at www.co.warren.oh.us/emergencyservices/, from FEMA at www.ready.gov/September, or download the Ready Warren County app on your smartphone. A list of recommended basic emergency supplies is listed below.

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