On August 28, 2022, one hundred volunteers from the World Mission Society Church of God in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Escondido, completed an in-person CERT Training certification. This live practical session was facilitated in partnership with the City of Downey. Prior to participating in the live practical session and receiving the certification, the volunteers completed 16 hours of online training consisting of various modules over a 3-month period. During the live practical training, the Church of God volunteers practiced putting out small fires, emergency first aid and mock search and rescue operations.
CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team. Many people are not prepared to act if they encounter a disaster or emergency and local government resources become quickly overwhelmed while trying to address the emergency. The program is designed to train communities in disaster preparedness and first response. CERT was created to educate in areas such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
This was not the first time the church has completed CERT training. In 2012, the Northeastern Association of the World Mission Society Church of God in New York and surrounding cities held a CERT training event where 1,200 volunteers became CERT trained as first responders. The Church continues to make efforts to participate in national and international disaster relief efforts with various agencies and governments and has worked with the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (UN CERF) and the National Guard.
The Church of God wants to share the love of God with the world by helping our neighbors and community with support and comfort in times of need. No one ever expects that a disaster will come upon them, however, we should always be prepared for anything as life is unpredictable. The CERT program allows us not only to lend a hand through disaster relief from afar but even up close. We want to be equipped and ready for when disaster comes. We want our community to know that we are here to assist, comfort and help our neighbors in the global village.
