Rockville - - - The Montgomery County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is pleased to announce the spring class schedule for 2012. The goal of the CERT program is to train members of the community in basic emergency preparedness and response skills so they can better help themselves, their families and others in an emergency.

CERT consists of programs that serve in more than 170 communities nationwide. Montgomery CERT is managed by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service and is based on the DHS/FEMA/Citizen Corps national standard curriculum. Through training programs, CERT members are instructed in basic emergency response skills including fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

CERT training is free to county residents 18 and older, and takes place twice a week over the course of month. Students are required to attend all sessions to receive a FEMA certificate of completion.. The Spring 2012 class will take place in Gaithersburg on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings from March 14 through April 28, 2012 with a break included for the spring break holidays. CERT operates on a first come basis for a limited number of seats.  If interested please click the application link under training at our website at www.montgomerycert.org and submit an application today! If you have any questions about the program contact Program Manager Greg St. James at join@montgomerycert.org.

To learn more about what you and your family can do to be safe, please visit the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service website at www.mcfrs.org/mcsafe.