A free training program at Northwest Missouri State University will teach community members basic disaster response skills. 

The training, March 9th through the 12th on the Northwest campus covers disaster preparedness, disaster response, search and rescue, disaster psychology and more. 

Dr. Mark Corson is a Professor of Geography and of Emergency and Disaster Management at Northwest. 

Corson said the theme of the CERT training is to be a responder and not a victim. 

“CERT or Community Emergency Response Teams are citizen responders who, with some basic equipment and training are able to help themselves, their families, their neighbors, their communities in the event of an emergency,” Corson said. “It is a Federal Emergency Management Agency created and sponsored course, 24 hours, that garners a certificate from FEMA and we’re very excited to be able to offer that training here at Northwest.” 

Corson said he thinks the training is a confidence builder and a service to participants, their family and community.

“We know that disaster can strike at any time from a person having an accident to an automobile accident to a house fire to a tornado. I, myself, am an Emergency Medical Technician with (the) Nodaway County Ambulance District as a part-timer and so, a first responder, but I admit that really the first responder in an incident is going to be a family member who digs you out of the rubble or helps to take care of you,” Corson said. “So by people committing to this 24 hours, they’re really showing that they’re prepared to take care of themselves and their families and then they can go out and help their communities and be a responder rather than a victim.” 

The program runs from 6 to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, March 9th and 10th and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday March 11th and 12th. 

To register, click here or for more information, email Dr. Mark Corson at [email protected].