September is Emergency Preparedness Month and Burlington County is organizing a special event to help residents learn important skills that can help them and their families during any disaster or crisis.
The Burlington County Prep Rally will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Burlington County Library System Main Branch, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton. The event is being organized by the Burlington County Health Department, Burlington County Office of Emergency Management and the Burlington County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Burlington County Animal Response Team (CART) and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). It will feature opportunities to learn more about emergency preparations, plus hands on demonstrations and training on life-saving skills like CPR, Stop the Bleed and Narcan administration.
“Protecting our residents’ health, safety and property is always our Board’s top priority. Our County has taken steps to improve resiliency and mitigate and plan for a variety of disasters and emergencies, including floods, wildfires, blizzards, hurricanes and tornados,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. “We are also encouraging residents to prepare, so the upcoming Prep Rally will provide them with valuable knowledge and skills that can be life-saving during a disaster.”
In addition to the training demonstrations, the event will give attendees opportunities to meet with Health Department and Emergency Management officials/. They can learn more about the CERT, CART and MRC teams, the training their members receive and the roles both groups perform.
CERT teams are comprised of volunteers trained to assist first responders, public safety and emergency management professionals during emergencies and other large events.
MRCs are both trained health care professionals and non-clinical community members who live and work in the county and are trained to assist the Health Department and Office of Emergency Management during a health emergency or disaster.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, members of both teams contributed more than 31,000 hours to assist with a wide range of activities as part of the County’s response, including operations at the Burlington County Vaccine Mega-Site and other vaccination clinics, operations at COVID testing sites, contact tracing and food distribution events. Their volunteer service equated to more than $900,000 in savings for the County.
“CERT and MRC members have always been important, but we witnessed during COVID-19 just how essential they can be during major disasters and health emergencies,” said Dr. Herb Conway, director of the Burlington County Health Department. “Both teams are seeking new members, and residents can learn more about them, their training and the services they perform at the upcoming Prep Rally.”