Crime & Safety
CERT Volunteers to be Awarded Tonight
Retired Newport Beach Fire Captain Jerry Strom will also discuss the 100 year history of the Fire Department.
The Newport Beach Fire Department will hand out awards tonight to a handful of volunteers from the city's Community Emergency Response Team as a way of recognizing their stellar efforts.
The Fourth annual State of CERT dinner and award banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m., at the OASIS Senior Center in Corona del Mar. Tonight's honorees will include Volunteer of the Year and CERT Instructor of the Year.
Matt Brisbois, the department's community preparedness coordinator, told Patch the CERT volunteers are essential to Newport Beach because they are all certified disaster service workers ready to respond when the need arises.
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"They are all trained volunteers that are prepared to take care of themselves, their family and their neighbors in the event of an emergency," Brisbois said. "In a major unexpected disaster in Newport Beach, the CERT volunteers provide an invaluable service as emergency responders will not be able to take care of everyone right away."
Along with emergency response, CERT volunteers also assist the city in various ways throughout the year through disaster preparedness educational programs and community events.
Find out what's happening in Newport Beach-Corona Del Marwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In addition to tonight's award ceremony, retired Newport Beach Fire Capt. Jerry Strom will be discussing the 100 year history of the Newport Beach Fire Department and the team's 2011 accomplishments and goals for 2012 will be addressed.
The next round of CERT classes begin at the end of February. For more program information visit www.nbcert.org or call 949-644-3112.
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