Muskego Residents Encouraged to Get CERT-ified

Gary Mrotek, an officer with the Muskego Police Department, explained that it's tough to leave home during severe weather events to aid others when he knows he's leaving his family.

However, he's convinced that CERT programs (Community Emergency Response Team) are the best way to arm everyone with the skills and know how when there's a medical emergency, the lights go out or the basement starts flooding. 

CERT programs were formed as a result of the earthquakes in 1985 in northern California, when it was quickly realized that first responders could not handle the demand for fire and medical services. Classes educate people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Mrotek told the current Citizens Academy Class that "hands down, this is the best program we can offer to empower residents to help themselves when faced with a variety of emergencies. Empowering people to act is the most important thing."

Citizens trained in the program, which will be offered over three days - October 14, 15 and 22 at the Franklin Police Department - are often called upon as well by local police to assist them in various capacities. Mrotek explained that residents have helped out in participating in grid searches for missing persons and helping to staff 'checkpoints' to control the coming and going of people in an area that is compromised (as in the aftermath of a storm).

Training is intense - the upcoming sessions through Franklin involve Friday October 14 from 5-9pm, and the following two Saturdays from 8am-5pm, but the information and skills people gain through it guarantee you won't be bored.

So if you've ever encountered a situation where you wished you could have done more, this is apparently the opportunity.  To register, and all indications are that the classes are free, please click here.