Bergen Initiates CERT Program

In an effort to provide Bergen Community College with the highest level of emergency preparedness, the College's Department of Public Safety has collaborated with the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management (BCOEM) - a division of the Bergen County Police Department - to establish a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Participants include members of the College's faculty, staff, and students, who in the event of a major crisis are being trained to offer critical support to first responders by providing disaster survival and rescue relief. CERT classes are held every Thursday at Bergen, from January 24 through March 13. Training consists of 20 hours of instruction over an eight-week period.

CERT participants are taught by BCOEM officers and members of the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute (BCLPSI). Through classroom discussions and simulated exercises, faculty, staff, and students gain a better understanding of potential threats to their home, workplace, and community. The program also teaches people how to assist with non-emergency projects like installing smoke alarms, replacing smoke alarm batteries in an elderly person's home, or offering services at special events, such as parades or concerts.

"The CERT program provides Bergen's faculty, staff, and students with useful information and specialized training about how to respond to a crisis without placing themselves in unnecessary danger," said Lieutenant Marie Jardine, of Bergen's Department of Public Safety and future CERT program coordinator for the College. "We are also pleased to be working with members of the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management and Bergen County's Law & Public Safety Institute. They are dedicated professionals who are helping to enhance the overall safety and well-being of the College community."

The Bergen County Office of Emergency Management is the lead agency for emergency management in Bergen County. Under the auspices of this office, the emergency management staff works toward planning for, responding to, and recovering from large emergencies that would threaten the public safety of Bergen County.

Bergen County's Law & Public Safety Institute, which encompasses police, fire & EMS academies, is one of the most successful and influential training academies operating in the State of New Jersey and in the nation today. The Institute enjoys the trust and respect of a wide spectrum of corporate, governmental and civic leaders as well as the public safety community-at-large.


About Bergen Community College
Bergen Community College is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 15,000 students in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs, and certificate programs. More than 10,000 students are enrolled in non-credit, professional courses through the Division of Continuing Education, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, and the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, located at 355 Main Street, Hackensack. Information about the College is available at http://www.bergen.edu or by phoning the Welcome Center at 201-447-7200. 

Photo Caption: (L to R) Bergen student, Monica Berlinski, of East Rutherford, Bergen ESL Teacher and Test Administrator, Lori Michael, of Fair Lawn, and Bergen student Anthony Dimitui, of Teaneck.