Albany CERT

The key to CERT preparation is the formal training program put together by FEMA for use across the United States. This training teaches these skills for residents that want to learn:

• • Disaster preparedness

  • Fire safety and utility control

  • Disaster medical operations

  • Light search and rescue operations

  • CERT organization

  • Disaster psychology

  • Terrorism and CERT

  • Disaster simulation

Training is online, with some technical in-person exercises. Training oversight by Albany Fire Department. The course is 20-30 hours of duration at your pace. You will receive a CERT-equipped backpack on completion.

Practice skills with other CERT Trained residents twice a year.

In an emergency, CERT Trained residents are in charge of operations until authorities arrive.

Each Albany block or neighborhood needs to be organized by its residents. The Block Captain is a volunteer neighbor near you. Many areas have added co-captains and teams that focus on specific roles.

If you have a Block Captain, ask how you can help. If you don’t have one, see if a few of you are willing to organize yourselves.

Block Captains and their teams:

• • Organize your neighborhood

  • Create a list of people and pets

  • Discuss home preparations

  • Create plans for how to respond

  • Know how to work with CERT Trained residents and CERT Radio

The City of Albany has a new revision of the Block Captain Manual available on the City website. The manual will prepare you for a disaster and organize your own home and family for such an event.

To confirm you are a Block Captain, please email AlbanyCERT@gmail.com with the following information:

Name

Street Address

Block you are organizing

Cell phone number

Email address

CERT Trained? Y/N

GMRS call name if registered

In a disaster, cell phones and internet could be unavailable. For CERT to be effective, messages to the City or County will likely send by radio. The Albany CERT Radio Club’s primary function is to support the CERT Trained residents in communications and message delivery. Age and disability are not barriers. Young, old, and homebound folks can all be top-notch radio operators.

It’s a lot of fun, too! Operate radios for other uses, such as with your family, as a hobby, or when adventuring.

• • Check-in every Wednesday at 7 pm on Channel 19 Simplex, on FRS or GMRS. Ham Radio frequency is 462.650

  • Basic radio communication & messages

  • 10-20 minutes duration, but anyone can leave after check-in

  • We advise people in radio selection, training and FCC licensing

http://albanyradio.groups.io