The March 11, 2011 Pacific tsunami generated by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake near the east coast of Honshu, Japan, damaged boats and walkways in Lahaina Harbor. Water surged in and out of the harbor for several hours. Photo by George Laich.

LAHAINA – Hurricanes, tsunamis and earthquakes can strike at any moment. Are you prepared to help your neighbors in case of a disaster?

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities.

This valuable course educates people about hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations.

When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to the professional first responders by providing immediate assistance to victims at a disaster site.

Developing a disaster ready and resilient community starts with you!

CERT Basic Training is a six-day, 30-hour program consisting of classroom instruction and field exercises.

Sponsored by the Maui Civil Defense Agency, CERT is taught by Maui Fire Department instructors and provided free of charge under a Homeland Security grant.

CERT classes are scheduled during the evenings and on Saturdays.

The Lahaina class session will be held in March at Princess Nahi’ena’ena Elementary School under the following schedule: March 13, 15, 20 and 22 from 6 to 9:30 p.m., and March 17 and 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Upcoming training is scheduled in Kihei in May, Pukalani in July and Kahului in September.

For more information, or to register for a CERT course, contact Charnan Carroll, Civil Defense staff specialist and CERT program manager, at 270-7285 or cert@mauicounty.gov.