Burlington County is inviting residents to attend a special Prep Rally event on Saturday, Sept. 21 to learn valuable emergency preparedness skills. The event, organized by the Burlington County Health Department, Office of Emergency Management, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Animal Response Team (CART), and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Burlington County Library System Main Branch, 5 Pioneer Blvd., Westampton.

Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about emergency preparations and receive hands-on training in life-saving skills such as CPR, Stop the Bleed, and Narcan administration. They can also meet with Health Department and Emergency Management officials to learn more about the CERT, CART, and MRC teams, including the training their members receive and the roles they perform during emergencies.

"Protecting our residents' health, safety and property is always our Board's top priority," said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson. "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. 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."

CERT teams are comprised of trained volunteers who assist first responders, public safety, and emergency management professionals during emergencies and large events. MRCs include both trained healthcare professionals and non-clinical community members who assist the Health Department and Office of Emergency Management during health emergencies and disasters.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CERT and MRC members contributed over 31,000 volunteer hours to assist with the county's response efforts, including operations at vaccination clinics, testing sites, contact tracing, and food distribution events. Their service provided 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."

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