Mayor Pro Tempore Michael T. Bennett and Supervisor Janet Wolf congratulated the class on their achievement and presented them with certificates. Commendations from Assemblyman Das Williams and Supervisor Doreen Farr were also given at the ceremony at the Goleta Valley Community Center. The course was eight weeks long and culminated in a final disaster exercise.
CERT training prepares community members to become educated in the area of emergency preparedness. CERT participants are trained to serve as part of neighborhood or workplace response teams in the event of a major disaster, when emergency services may not be available and when residents may have to rely on each other for life-saving and life-sustaining needs.
“We are extremely pleased and proud to celebrate the graduation of our newest Spanish-speaking CERT graduates. Each one of them has now received important training in preparing for and responding to, major disasters and assisting their families and neighbors,” said Vyto Adomaitis, Director of Neighborhood Services & Public Safety. “This is the core mission of CERT and an important priority for the City of Goleta.”
With the success of the first Spanish CERT Class, the City of Goleta will continue to strengthen the partnership between the City and its Spanish-speaking community members through future outreach and training opportunities.
For more information, in English or Spanish, please contact Luz Reyes-Martin, Management Analyst in the Neighborhood Services and Public Safety Department at 961-7558.