In January, Oakland University became the first university in the country to offer a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) preparedness course and recently graduated its first group of students from the seven-week program. 

The CERT course is based on the Department of Homeland Security national curriculum and covers theory and practical applications to prepare individuals to help themselves and the community in the event of a catastrophic disaster, especially when emergency personnel are unable to assist. 

As part of the program, participants learned about disaster preparation, fire safety, medical operations, light search and rescue techniques, disaster psychology and the CERT organization. 

Through a $50,000 training grant from the Michigan State Police CERT Direct Assistance Program, Stafford Rorke, director of the Wellness, Health Promotion and Injury Prevention program at OU, is able to offer this course for the next two years to OU students, faculty, staff and community members. Students in the Health Science program were able to take the course as the first part of their semester-long program for credit. 

The next CERT course starts Saturday, May 6, and continues for seven consecutive Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

For more information or to register as a continuing education student, contact Rorke at (248) 370-3544 or rorke@oakland.edu.