The Cayman Brac Community Emergency Response Team held their Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) graduation ceremony on Saturday June 2nd at the Seafarers and Veterans Hall.
In total, 52 residents completed the training which included a number of components such as First Aid / CPR, Fire Safety and Suppression, Disaster Preparedness, Stress Management / Disaster Psychology, Search and Rescue Operations, Initial Damage Assessment, Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment.
District Commissioner for the Sister Islands, Mr. Ernie Scott, Chairman of the Sister Islands Emergency Committee, gave a speech praising the commitment of the residents to bettering their community and he thanked them for volunteering to make the Brac and Little Cayman more resilient.
Hazard Management Cayman Islands (HMCI) and the Cayman Islands Red Cross (CIRC) work in partnership to deliver the 26 hour CERT training course which aims to increase disaster preparedness and resilience at the grass roots level. CERT training is free and open to all residents above the age of 16. Fire Officer, Mr. John Christian also assisted by conducting the Fire Safety and Search and Rescue components of the CERT course.

Following the graduation of the Brac CERT HMCI Director, Ms. Danielle Coleman said, “This is an important development for our national disaster response capacity; the Sister Islands now has a trained group of volunteers who can assist with the response and relief efforts following an impact from an event such as hurricane, they also have a significant preparedness role. These volunteers gave up 26 hours of their time to get trained and this in itself demonstrates commitment which we feel confident will be sustainable. We are hopeful that the Cayman Islands aren’t impacted by a hurricane this year but if we are, we now have a stronger and more prepared team of responders in the Sister Islands that can assist.”

The Cayman Brac CERT is now the 6th CERT to be established in the Cayman Islands, with other teams in Prospect, North Side, North Sound Gardens, West Bay and Windsor Park. In addition, a number of students from John Gray High School and Clifton Hunter High School completed the Campus CERT program. HMCI and the Red Cross are hoping to commence a general CERT training for persons across the Cayman Islands in October.

For More Information Contact Simon Boxall at 244-3145 or 926-2027 or email [email protected]