Delco seeks volunteers for disaster assistance
Delaware County officials are looking for volunteers willing to help in a disaster.
The participants will train to become part of the county's Community Emergency Response Team or CERT.
"We need people, we need hands," said Ed Kline. Potential volunteers do not need to have any specialty, they just need to be willing to help someone else, said Klein. "We can give them the training."
The volunteers will learn basic first aid and rescue techniques, how to use a fire extinguisher, preparing a personal disaster preparedness kit, terrorism awareness, how to prepare and shelter domestic animals and other skills, Klein said.
There are 500 CERT volunteers in Delaware County. Klein estimates the county needs at least another 2000 more. CERT volunteers were used to staff shelters during Hurricane Sandy, he said.
Three basic CERT training courses will be held through July at locations in Darby Borough, Upper Darby and Chadds Ford. The 24 hours of training will be spread over five session.
The first meeting will be on May 1 at 7 p.m. at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit, 200 Yale Ave. Morton, PA 19070.
Contact Ed Kline at ekline@delcodes.org to register for the training.
Contact staff writer Mari A. Schaefer at 610-892-9149, mschaefer@phillynews.com or @MariSchaefer on Twitter.
