By Jeff Lipton
Bob Beckmann, CERT/Citizen Corps coordinator for the county OEM, said he won't be satisfied until all 1.3 million county residents are fully prepared to face whatever emergency or crisis comes their way. CERT training sessions are on-going, including one taking place now in Hicksville, with another planned for the Five Towns at the beginning of 2007.
However, he said if residents cannot endure the eight weeks of training to become a CERT volunteer, whose primary task is to assist first responders in an emergency, he encouraged residents to invite CERT representatives to civic meetings to speak to individuals and families for up to an hour about what they can do to better prepare themselves. To become a certified member of CERT, one must undergo three hours of training a night for eight nights during those eight weeks.
"The focus is that citizens need to be prepared for disasters," said Beckmann, who added that if more citizens were prepared in the Gulf Coast for Hurricane Katrina a year ago, the situation might not have been so dire.
"Citizen preparedness is the key and CERT offers help with that," said Beckmann. "CERT's main goal is to support the community's first responders. We want everyone in Nassau County to be better prepared, so we keep offering the training."
Largely as a response to 9/11, the Federal Emergency Management Agency called on local communities about two years ago to form CERTs under the direction of the OEM, which has thus far recruited more than 500 CERT volunteers working in 28 teams countywide. The Five Towns team, founded in December 2004, has more than 50 members and is growing.
"The Five Towns has a very active team and we have used them [extensively]," said Beckmann.
For instance, he said, the Five Towns CERT was "activated" to assist FEMA to assess the damage caused by the extensive floods that deluged the area last October.
Some of the other duties of CERT members include assisting the Red Cross in providing shelter for victims of disasters and helping the Salvation Army to provide refreshments to police and firefighters who respond to an emergency.
Neighborhood sources said a group of residents from the Woodmere area, many of them members of Young Israel of Woodmere, has been interested in forming a CERT. But Beckmann said CERTs are formed based on geographic areas such as the Five Towns and not based around synagogues or similar groups.
Dr. Jay Findling, who lives with his family in the Hewlett-Gibson area, said he's interested in finding out more about how he can become a member of Five Towns CERT.
"I do hope to learn more about CERT with the hope of getting involved," said Findling, an administrator with the New York City Dept. of Education. He's the director of safety operations for an area known as Region 5, which has jurisdiction over 100 schools and more than 100,000 students in southern Queens, East New York and Brownsville. He's also served as a building-level administrator, teacher and coach.
"I have developed a strong philosophy based on giving to my community in manageable ways," said Findling, who's also been an auxiliary police officer in New York City and Nassau County. "That is different for everyone. For me, I like to offer my time, energy and expertise in the area of emergency response."
Susan Klaperman, coordinator of the Five Towns CERT, who formed it because she said she felt the Five Towns was particularly vulnerable to a terrorist attack, said "the enthusiasm among the members has been great." She said she has constantly received phone calls from residents who are interested in joining the Five Towns CERT. The group has held its meetings at Congregation Beth Sholom in Lawrence.
Anyone wishing more information on CERT or to become a member may call the OEM at (516) 573-0636.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 210.
