Antelope Valley CERT Receives Donations

A press conference was recently coordinated at Fire Station 129 in the City of Lancaster by Fire Captain Scott Polgar and Community Services Representative Carmen Mackey to announce donations for the Antelope Valley CERT Program. Over the past eight months, under the direction of Deputy Fire Chief Mike Metro, our Department has combined efforts with the Los Angeles County Sheriff, Sheriff Volunteers on Patrol, State Farm Insurance Company and the Lancaster West Rotary Club, to accept 140 CERT backpacks, CERT disaster supplies and approximately $3,000 for the program. Through the Sheriff’s Department, a non-profit fund was created in a joint leadership initiative between LACoFD, the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, and the Fifth District. According to Polgar, this is the only CERT program in the Department in which all of these public and private entities have come together in a joint effort to provide emergency kits to local residents taking the 20-hour CERT class. Soon, CERT supplies will be deposited in caches at schools around the Valley to be available if disaster strikes during school hours. If a disaster strikes after schools hours or are otherwise unused by the school, they will be used in local neighbor-hoods. In addition, a website, www.antelopevalleycert.org, has been established for those citizens living in Battalions 11 and 17, where they can go to for updates on CERT classes and refresher training. CERT is quickly sweeping across the nation and our county, as residents realize the value in becoming actively involved. CERT instructors are still needed! Picture left to right: Sheriff Volunteer Christine Ulrich, Polgar, Pat Rossall and Jill Elofson of State Farm Insurance in Palmdale. (Photo provided by Fire Captain Scott Polgar)