By Carmen Rodgers
Elmore Autauga News
Sixty-seven students from Elmore County High School, Holtville High School, and Wetumpka High School enrolled in the Elmore County Technical Center recently completed a rigorous training program to become the newest members of the Elmore County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
The Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program is an initiative designed to enable area youth with the knowledge and skills needed to respond in emergency situations.
“Our students go through eight units of classroom study and hands-on activities, covering topics such as disaster preparedness, light fire suppression, disaster, medical operations, disaster psychology, and terrorism,” Elmore County EMA’s Emergency Management Specialist Bethany Elliot said.
Through a combination of classroom instruction, hands-on training, and problem-solving using the scientific method, students learn how to prepare for and respond to disasters that could affect their communities. This program not only builds confidence and leadership but also fosters a sense of responsibility and readiness among teens to help themselves, their families, and others during times of crisis.
“At the end of the course, they must pass a comprehensive final exam and participate in a disaster simulation exercise,” Elliot continued.
Although these new graduates are young, they complete the same training requirements as adults.
“The course that they go through is the standard FEMA-endorsed CERT training. It’s the same class delivered to adults. It’s not scaled down in any way for the teen version, so it is no walk in the park,” Elliot said.
Training these young men and women was a collaborative effort.
“The Elmore County Extension Service helps us with teaching and putting on the exercise,” Elliot said. “It’s truly a multi-agency collaboration.”
A recent graduate, Hanna Sagan, explained what this experience meant to her and why she chose to get involved.
“I first became CERT certified in May of 2023, after the January tornadoes hit,” Sagan said.
On Jan. 19, 2019, an EF-2 tornado with estimated peak winds of 120 mph caused significant damage across downtown Wetumpka. It was that event that made Sagan want to arm herself with the information and skills needed to effectively respond to an emergency.
However, according to Sagan, CERT taught much more than disaster preparedness.
“I first became CERT certified in May of 2023, after the January tornadoes hit,” she said.
While Sagan first joined to be better prepared during an emergency, she said she learned much more.
“CERT didn’t only prepare me for catastrophe, it helped me on my journey to take initiative in our community,” she said. “CERT provided me with knowledge of local hazards and how to respond calmly, and with confidence to disaster situations. Now, I can recognize that CERT is about more than search and rescue. I achieved more than awareness and it taught more than preparedness. CERT taught me resourcefulness, how to establish a chain of command during my volunteer opportunities and how important it is to adapt in life.”
This Teen CERT program has seen successful since its inception, and in the future, the program could expand to reach more students in Elmore County.
“We continue to grow the program each year, and next year we hope to add an additional class at ECTC (Elmore County Technical Center) and possibly deliver the program at Stanhope Elmore High and Edgewood Academy,” Elliot said.
If interested in becoming a Teen CERT or CERT member, or for more information, visit https://www.elmoreco.org/ema
