VDEM training conducted in New Kent

Virginia’s Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) held a 24-hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course at Brickshire in Providence Forge Sept. 3-5.

The CERT program is a federally funded citizen preparedness and response training course administered through VDEM, supporting almost 80 localities and institutions of higher education across the state.

The original concept was developed by Los Angeles County fire personnel in the mid-1960’s to train citizens to be more prepared in times of disaster.

Course work included hands on and classroom instruction in preparedness, organization, fire safety, first aid and triage, disaster psychology, terrorism, and light search and rescue. The course concluded with a hands on exercise to practice skills students learn in class.

Richard Opett, a community resident and chief of New Kent Fire and EMS, opened training by welcoming the VDEM state CERT training team and participants.

Training team members included Tom Mayhew, District Emergency Management Coordinator and “Tripp” DeRamus, Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator. Both are associated with Northern Virginia Community College. J.D. Jenkins, the Public Education Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs also discussed other community educational programs available through VDEM.

Dan Dziewulski, representative of the Brickshire CERT team, organized the training which included recruiting volunteers to serve as victims for the final exercise.

“I could not have managed this training without Dan,” stated Linda Rubin, Citizen Corps Program Manager and CERT State Coordinator.

Dziewulski also received the VDEM SuperCERT Award Certificate of Appreciation and backpack for his contributions.

Anyone interested in learning more about the Virginia CERT can email for Linda.rubin@vdem.virginia.gov for information.