Bringing in People with Disabilities. Bergen County lead the way five years ago Mercer County offered training in 2008 Each took a different path.

The NJ CERT Experience

Bringing in People with Disabilities

Bergen County lead the way five years ago

Mercer County offered training in 2008

Each took a different path

Each had different but positive experience

Two Counties – Two Paths

Information Provided by:

Detective Gidget Petry,Bergen County Sherriff’s Office

Instrumental in bringing New Jersey’s first CERT class for people with disabilities to

reality

Bergen County’s Path

Bergen’s initial purposes in conducting this class were two-fold:

  To improve emergency responders’

awareness of providing service to the vast array of individuals with functional needs.

To improve the ability of people with disabilities to prepare for and respond to emergency situations that may occur.

Bergen County’s Path

Bergen implemented simple steps for class

The facility where the class was taught was 100% A D A compliant.

Extra instructors were on hand -- 3 students for every 1 instructor ratio

  Disability etiquette class was required for all

instructors.  

Bergen County’s Path

Applications for class allowed for participants to specify what accommodations they needed

Plan ahead for these kinds of accommodations -- may impact both planning and budgeting

Transportation was a big issue -- It will ALWAYS be The Big Issue

Bergen County’s Path

Basic CERT Course not changed.

“You haven’t lived until you see a blind person put out a fire with an extinguisher.”

-- Detective Gidget Petry

Bergen County’s Path

County OEM approached in 2005 by advocates -- Finally acted upon in 2008

Training held in day to ease transportation

Held at accessible housing campus

CERT Coordinator ran most of the course

Mercer County’s Path

Most Recruits used wheelchairs

Most Recruits had backgrounds as either responders or advocates

Recruits knew each other – Many worked together previously

Mercer County’s Path

Doreen Robertson – Mercer CERT Coordinator

Mercer County’s Path

Mercer’s Graduation

Mercer Deployed for Drill

Norman A. [email protected]

Scott [email protected]

Contact Information