Chandler Fire Department offers free emergency preparedness training to residents

The Chandler Fire Department is offering a free training course for Chandler residents who want to learn how to take care of themselves, their family, neighborhood, and community during an emergency or disaster. This Basic Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course provides community members with hands-on and classroom instruction over two consecutive Saturdays. Courses include fire safety, utility control, light search and rescue, basic medical care and more.

This two-day self-preparedness training will be held on consecutive Saturdays, August 20th, 2022, and August 27th, 2022, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., both days. The classes will be conducted at the Chandler Public Safety Training Center, 3550 S. Dobson Road. The training is free, but space is limited. Register through Eventbrite or find a link at chandleraz.gov/fire and search for “CERT.”

Training participants will learn about the types of hazards that might affect Chandler and examine the roles and responsibilities of various organizations within the community, such as police and fire departments, other government agencies, public utilities and non-profits. Constructing family emergency kits for home and vehicles also is a critical part of community preparedness.

“Some of the potential hazards we can face are strong winds, flooding, heat waves, power outages and fires, along with the possibility of man-made threats,” said Chandler Battalion Chief Suzy Vargo. “Our goal is to give residents the tools, information and coping skills they need to care for themselves and their families for up to 72 hours following a natural or man-made disaster.”

For more information about Chandler’s Basic CERT course, call 480-782-2120, email [email protected], or visit chandleraz.gov/fire.