New Yorkers are going to be hosting some big crowds in the city this summer with the World Cup and the nation’s 250th, so any time there is an emergency in a crowded place, you need people who know what to do and how to keep everybody safe.
This is why the city trains regular New Yorkers in something called NYC CERT – that is the ‘Community Emergency Response Team. Sunday on Randall’s Island at the FDNY Fire Academy, they got some very realistic training for those kinds of emergencies. All injuries were 100 percent fake, and the fire was real and well-controlled by the Academy professionals.
Dozens of CERT members, old and new, walked away from here with a skillset, ready to help in a crisis. They are regular New Yorkers who have passed background checks and have agreed to commit their time to this training and volunteer service…