ENCINO—The Public Safety Committee of the Encino Neighborhood Council has partnered with the Los Angeles Fire Department to sponsor Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes. CERT is a disaster preparedness program designed to help protect individuals, families, as well as neighbors, in crisis situations when emergency services become overwhelmed and cannot arrive in time.
Encino Neighborhood Council Public Safety Representative, Tonya Barseghian, organized CERT, which is offered to the public free of charge. CERT teaches emergency skills and trains for hazards including fire safety, search and rescue team organization, and disaster medical operations. Trainees who graduate earn a Certificate of Completion, along with an emergency survival kit free of charge.
“The responsibility for preparedness lies within each individual. The Public Safety Committee encourages all members of the community to take advantage of this informative and valuable opportunity,” notes Barseghian.
“We commend Tonya Barseghian on the significant work she continues to carry out during her tenure as Public Safety Representative. It is always encouraging to see Armenian Americans make such a positive difference in the general welfare of their communities, such as Encino,” remarked Armenian National Committee of the San Fernando Valley-West Executive Member, Shant Hagopian.
CERT training classes are being held on the following Tuesdays: March 9, March 16, March 23, March 30, April 6, April 13, and April 20, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm., at the First Presbyterian Church of Encino, located at 4963 Balboa Blvd., in Encino. For registration and additional information, please email Tonya Barseghian at tbarseghian@ucla.edu or call (818) 817-6998.
The Armenian National Committee of the San Fernando Valley-West advances the social, economic, cultural, and political rights of the area’s Armenian American community and promotes increased Armenian American civic participation at the grassroots and public policy levels.