Will you be prepared when you are faced with a natural disaster? When Greg Sherwood went to Katrina as part of the Medical Reserve Corp, he saw first hand what happens when there is not enough emergency responders. After that experience, Greg has been instrumental along with Mike Sargent in spearheading the CERT Outreach program in the Layton area. Since their first Outreach class in October of 2008, they have taught 10 CERT classes with over 300 graduates who are CERT qualified.

CERT is a 24 hour basic training. A normal CERT class lasts 8 weeks for 3 hours a night, one night a week. The Outreach program also offer a 4 week, 6 hour class taught on Saturdays. The classes have ended but will begin again in October. The six areas that CERT training covers are: Emergency Preparedness, Fire Suppression, Disaster First Aid, Urban Search & Rescue, Disaster Psychology and Terrorism. As part of their certification applicants must take a written exam and participate in a mock disaster where they put into practice what they have learned in the course. The overriding motto is “Do the most good for the most people.”

Jim Mason, Assistant City Manager, says “One of the most effective things we can do as a city to prepare citizens for an emergency is to provide CERT training to as many people as possible.” Layton is divided into 12 districts with several areas per district. The city's goal is to get 30 people per area trained. CERT training has been available in Layton since 1992. During those years, the program has had 1700 people take the course with approximately 800 graduates who are CERT qualified. One of the great things about the Outreach program is that they offer a makeup class at the end. If you have to miss a night or a Saturday during the course you can still graduate. Not only does this allow for a higher percentage of graduates, but a higher volume as well since the Outreach program will train any organization that would like to be CERT qualified.

Mike Sargent and Greg Sherwood are volunteers. They put in hours of training and coordination with no pay. That's over 240 hours minimum since October. Their dedication and commitment to the community spreads to those who take the course.

Melinda Newman has completed the course and will shortly be CERT qualified. She says it has changed her mindset. As she's out in the community, she's more aware of what's going on around her. She has her backpack and emergency supplies in her car. As she drives past an accident, the first thought that comes to her mind, is should I stop and help?

If you are interested in becoming CERT qualified please contact the Management Services Department at Layton City by calling 801-336-3820 or visit the website at www.laytoncity.org. Click on departments near the top and then click on Management Servies.