CERT Training

From the Citizen Corps website.. http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/
 

“The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates 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. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.”

As an active CERT member in my community, I can not recommend this program enough to other capes and regular citizens alike.  The training is free, but invaluable.  It also opens the door for RLSH and citizens to work with local organizations, and the authorities, during times of emergency where untrained volunteers would be more of a liability than assistance.
As RLSH work towards legitimacy and acceptance in their home communities, taking actual training and working with existing organizations is important, if not vital, to accomplishing those goals.  Certification, training, volunteering, and service mark the difference between active legitimate RLSH, and their keyboard counterparts.  Being a superhero is much more than being photographed with women outside of bars, or having a thousand friends on Facebook.  It’s about doing what you can to make an actual difference in your community.