Local CERT team draws national focus

MAT-SU BOROUGH—The MAT-SU CERT instructors were highlighted nationally this month alongside peers who are preparing for tsunami on Hawaii, coping with flooding in New Jersey, and mobilizing in the aftermath of earthquake in Haiti. CERT is Community Emergency Response Team. In 2009 MAT-SU CERT became the first CERT in the country to offer training to inmates.

For five days in the winter, CERT instructors taught basic training to 23 inmates at the medium-security jail in Palmer, the Palmer Correctional Center. Another 30 inmates were taught in a second class in summer.

Bea Adler, the CERT coordinator for the Borough, said the course in disaster response is well-received in jail, and inmates should not be overlooked.

“These are not career criminals,” said Adler. Most were serving short sentences from 90 days to a few years. Adler said the level of interest was very high. “Over the week we got to know them and they stopped being yellow
jumpsuits and became individuals."

Inmates could play a recovery role if a disaster strikes.

For the full interview read the CERT National Newsletter here.

In Photo: The teaching team that presented the course at the prison: (left to right) Borough employees: Michieal Abe’, Bill Mackreth, Sarah Sanderlin, with the Alaska Division of Public Health., Joe Sylvia, Bea Adler.

For more information call Bea Adler, Borough Safety Programs Coordinator, 373-8822, or Bea Adler Beatrice. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.