| Montgomery County is looking for a few good CHAMPs!! We are looking for proactive citizens who are interested in becoming Community Safety Advocates and front-line assistants during large emergencies. The program we are developing is modeled after the FEMA CERT program that was originally developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. CHAMP (Community Hazard Awareness and Mitigation Program) participants will attend 7 classes over a 3-week period, meeting two nights a week with one all day Saturday or Sunday practical and test day. At the end of the training, participants will be empowered with the following knowledge and abilities:
Identifying and mitigating potential hazards in the home and workplace.
Initiating plans to prepare themselves and their loved ones for the hazards that they face.
Learning skills to help themselves, loved ones, and neighbors or fellow employees until professional response resources arrive.
Working cooperatively as a team within their neighborhoods or workplaces.
Maintaining a relationship with the agency that sponsors the CERT program.
Participating in continuing education and training.
Volunteering for projects to enhance the public safety of their communities.
During training, CHAMPs learn to:
Prepare for the hazards that threaten their communities.
Apply size-up and safety principles.
Locate and turn off utilities.
Extinguish small fires.
Identify hazardous materials situations.
Triage and treat victims.
Set up a medical treatment area.
Understand the psychological impact of a disaster on themselves and others.
Apply response skills in a disaster simulation.
Serve as Community Safety Advocates for the department in the area of fire and injury prevention. |
