Linn County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), sponsored by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, will be graduating an additional 8 members with a Final Simulation on March 3, 2012.  This class was held at Lebanon’s Fire Station #31 in cooperation with the Lebanon Fire Department.  CERT members complete 24 hours of free Disaster Basic Training which includes disaster preparedness, light search and rescue disaster medical (triage and treatment), fire suppression, disaster psychology, hands-on exercises, and more designed to prepare members for any disaster including earthquakes and floods.

The CERT program is sponsored by FEMA and is part of the Citizen Corps. Linn County CERT currently has four teams throughout the county and approximately 100 members. CERT’s Basic Training is open to any resident of Linn County who has reached the age of 12 (with parental permission).  We are neighbors helping neighbors, and we are an active group with two refresher classes offered each month, Albany and Lebanon.  Contact Vickie Myers, Training Coordinator,CERT.training@hotmail.com, for further information to volunteer.