Independence, Seven Hills residents train for emergency response team

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio - For Nina Boodjeh, Sept. 11 was the turning point.

"I felt that I needed to know more and I needed to be more prepared," she said. She became one of the first trainees for the Quad City Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT.

The citizen corps made up of residents of Independence, Valley View, Seven Hills and Brooklyn Heights, is trained in all types of disaster response.

Wednesday night in Independence the trainees were learning fire safety, how to use a fire extinguisher and fire prevention.

"The fire department is not going to be able to respond to everything at a time of disaster," instructor Tom Priebe said. "We are here to help the fire department if there's a disaster."

CERT members can be called on for a number of duties, such as helping with evacuations or shutting off utility meters. Since 2004, hundreds of residents of the four communities have taken the training.

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month.