Ocean City, Upper Township Seek Emergency Response Team Volunteers

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The City of Ocean City and Upper Township will host free training classes for citizens to become certified members of the joint Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for 11 weeks beginning next week, city officials announced.

Classes will run on Tuesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Howard S. Stainton Senior Center within the Ocean City Community Center. They will run from Sept. 19 through Dec. 12. The Ocean City Community Center is located at 1735 Simpson Avenue.

The classes continue a tradition that has gone on for more than a decade. The classes, offered by the Ocean City Office of Emergency Management, covers all aspects of disaster preparation including shelter management, Heart Saver CPR/AED, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, terrorism and CERT, traffic control/special events, and natural disaster preparedness.

CERT volunteers played a vital role during Superstorm Sandy and have been called on many times since then.
To participate, volunteers must be at least 18 years old and live in Ocean City or Upper Township. Upon completion of the training, participants will have learned basic first aid, become CPR and AED certified and be prepared to assist with emergency response needs for their community, neighbors, family and themselves.

Class size is limited, so citizens are encouraged to register early. To register, visit www.ocnj.us/CERT. Residents also can contact Ocean City OEM Coordinator Frank Donato at fdonato@ocnj.us or Upper Township OEM Coordinator Scott Morgan at smorgan@uppertownship.com.