Reno, NV…The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps is offering a free emergency preparedness and response training academy beginning June 6.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy provides residents with the information they need to help save lives and reduce trauma in the event of an emergency. CERT Academy training includes disaster preparedness, emergency medical techniques, fire safety, search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism awareness education.

Training is conducted by Citizen Corps staff and volunteers along with appropriate subject matter experts. The training is free and trainees are not required to become a Citizen Corps volunteer to participate.

The CERT Academy offers a total of 24 hours of training during six sessions over two consecutive weekends. Training takes place at the Regional Public Safety Training Center located at 5190 Spectrum Blvd. Academy dates are:

Thursday, June 6 from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, June 7, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 8 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

and

Thursday, June 13, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, June 14, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 15 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

No special skills are required. Children 12-15 may participate with parent’s supervision, teens 16-17 with parent’s permission. To sign up for training, call CERT Program Coordinator Derek Russell at (775) 325-6928 or email: drussell@washoecounty.us

Approximately 500 volunteers currently serve in the Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps. The Corps consists of five teams: Sheriff’s Mobile Auxiliary Response Team, Citizens Homeland Security Council, Community Emergency Response Team and Animal Rescue Team.

The Community Emergency Response Team program is made possible by grants awarded by the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management from the Homeland Security Grant Program and the Citizen Corps Grant Program. These funds make it possible to implement and support all of the Sheriff’s Office volunteer Citizen Corps Programs.

For more information about the Washoe County Citizen Corps, visit http://www.wcsovolunteer.org/.

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The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office celebrated 150 years of proud service and community partnership in 2011. Sheriff Michael Haley is the 25th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County. His office continues to be the only full service public safety agency operating within northern Nevada and is responsible for operating the consolidated detention facility, regional crime lab, Northern Nevada Counter Terrorism Center, Internet Crimes against Children Task Force, court security, service of civil process, traditional street patrols and Regional Animal Services.
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