Most of us have a three day emergency shelter in place preparedness plan in case of a bad winter storm or power outage, but are you prepared for a bigger disaster? What if there was a major forest fire, chemical leak or spill at a nearby chemical plant, train derailment, or a big rig tanker accident where you only have 5 minutes to evacuate your home and area? What would you pack? How would you notify family? What about extended power outages of three days or more when you have to shelter in place? How would you store food, cook, stay warm? Come and learn how you can prepare for those situations and more! Perhaps you would like to volunteer in times of disaster. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of local volunteers trained to assist in emergencies and disasters. CERT functions as an organized response group under the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency and works to help the local communities and first responders when resources are strained. Please pre-register as we need a minimum of 4 people to run the course. Deb Lipsky is one of three Cumberland County CERT team leaders and will answer any questions you have about volunteering. In addition, she has spent ten years as a firefighter/advanced EMT and as a captain in the Civil Air Patrol doing ground search and rescue. Living off-grid for over 35 years, she has mastered the art of alternative ways to survive, just like our pioneering forefathers did. It’s never too early to be prepared!