As the anniversary of hurricane Katrina and the terror attacks on Sept. 11 are remembered, fire and EMS agencies such as the Miami Township Fire and EMS are giving residents a chance to get ready to help should another disaster come calling.

Soon, a new training course for the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, will begin in Miami Township, with the goal of helping residents get ready to help themselves and those around them should something disastrous occur.

“The CERT program was a program developed by FEMA, and is now under the Department of Homeland Security through the Citizens Corp banner,” said Miami Township firefighter/paramedic Hines. “It is a program that’s designed to teach the average citizen domestic preparedness, to be prepared for an emergency, and how to help your neighbor and your family in the event of an emergency where emergency services cannot reach you.”

The concept of CERT was developed as a way to provide the average citizen with a better way of both surviving and aiding in the cleanup phase of a disaster. According to information on the Miami Township website, rescue efforts after a Mexico City earthquake resulted in volunteers saving 800 lives, but due to a lack of training, 100 volunteers died in that effort. The goal is to train people to help in an effective manner so that lives can be both saved and preserved.