(News release) – The Platte County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management, Northland CERT will be hosting a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training session next month.

Classes will be provided at no cost and will be held at the Platte County Resource Center, 11724 NW Plaza Circle, Kansas City, MO. from 6pm to 9pm on Friday, November 10th, and from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, November 11th and 18th.

For more information and to pre-register, you may contact Platte County Emergency Management Deputy Mike O’Neal at [email protected].

Requirements: Be prepared to participate in activities and wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the weather.

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are trained to take care of themselves and their families first, and then provide help to others in their communities within the first 12-48 hours following a disaster. That first 48 hours is when debris-clogged or damaged roads, disrupted communications, or a high volume of calls may prevent access by emergency personnel. The purpose of CERT training is to provide citizens with the basic skills required to handle virtually all of their needs and then to be able to respond to their communities’ needs in the aftermath of a disaster.

“For those individuals that do not wish to participate in the training program, I encourage them to have a family disaster kit and a plan prepared for their home, work, and automobiles.” said Sheriff Mark Owen, “Disaster can strike without warning, and being prepared should be a priority for every family.”