CERT graduates largest class

FALLBROOK — The Fallbrook-based North County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) graduated the largest class in its history on Wednesday, October 11.

Since its inception only a short year ago, members of the Fallbrook, Rainbow and Bonsall communities have stepped up to learn how to respond to disaster in their area — fire, weather-initiated incidents such as floods or tornadoes or even terrorist attacks. There are currently some 170 CERT members in the local group; 32 individuals, including six juniors (ages 13 to 18), will be graduated by exams and a drill as the largest graduating class to have passed through the local CERT’s training.

The junior members are young people who care, too, and step up to the plate right along with the adults. The CERT group serves under the umbrella of Homeland Security, Emergency Services and the Citizen’s Group throughout the United States, and the juniors are possibly the only CERT members under the age of 18 in the entire nation.

A number of both juniors and adults who are graduating are planning to earn their amateur radio licenses (there is no age limit for this) through classes conducted by CERT “Ham” members. This means that when all everyday means of communication are unavailable (which will be the case initially in the face of any disaster), the Fallbrook Amateur Radio Club members, including these young people who pass the exam, will be there to assist our local emergency responders — our fire department, the Sheriff’s Department, hospitals and water district.