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The NJ CERT Experience Bringing in People with Disabilities
| Date post: | 26-Dec-2015 |
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The NJ CERT Experience
Bringing in People with Disabilities
Bergen County lead the way five years ago
Mercer County offered training in 2008
Each took a different path
Each had different but positive experience
Two Counties – Two Paths
Information Provided by:
Detective Gidget Petry,Bergen County Sherriff’s Office
Instrumental in bringing New Jersey’s first CERT class for people with disabilities to
reality
Bergen County’s Path
Bergen’s initial purposes in conducting this class were two-fold:
To improve emergency responders’
awareness of providing service to the vast array of individuals with functional needs.
To improve the ability of people with disabilities to prepare for and respond to emergency situations that may occur.
Bergen County’s Path
Bergen implemented simple steps for class
The facility where the class was taught was 100% A D A compliant.
Extra instructors were on hand -- 3 students for every 1 instructor ratio
Disability etiquette class was required for all
instructors.
Bergen County’s Path
Applications for class allowed for participants to specify what accommodations they needed
Plan ahead for these kinds of accommodations -- may impact both planning and budgeting
Transportation was a big issue -- It will ALWAYS be The Big Issue
Bergen County’s Path
Basic CERT Course not changed.
“You haven’t lived until you see a blind person put out a fire with an extinguisher.”
-- Detective Gidget Petry
Bergen County’s Path
County OEM approached in 2005 by advocates -- Finally acted upon in 2008
Training held in day to ease transportation
Held at accessible housing campus
CERT Coordinator ran most of the course
Mercer County’s Path
Most Recruits used wheelchairs
Most Recruits had backgrounds as either responders or advocates
Recruits knew each other – Many worked together previously
Mercer County’s Path
Doreen Robertson – Mercer CERT Coordinator
Mercer County’s Path
Mercer’s Graduation
Mercer Deployed for Drill
