Red Cross leads sheltering training for Area A CERT volunteers

The American Red Cross Western LA Chapter led a sheltering training for Area A CERT volunteers, organizers said, bringing together participants from West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Culver City to rehearse how to set up temporary evacuation centers and coordinate mutual aid.

The community disaster manager for the American Red Cross Western LA Chapter said, "We're here today to teach area A CERT members about Red Cross sheltering training and get them a little bit more prepared for the next disaster." The instructor said the course aims to help volunteers understand the Red Cross role in a disaster and "their role in how they can serve their neighbors."

Organizers emphasized practical, hands-on skills. A presenter said participants "learned how to set up cots, how to set up stations for residents to come ask questions, get information, how to facilitate large groups of people in the community that will be needing assistance," and how to partner with cities to establish an evacuation center if needed. The training was described as a "no-fault environment" where volunteers can practice procedures and ask questions before being deployed.

Event staff framed the sessions as part of regional preparedness. One presenter said the events were a partnership with "the American Red Cross with our neighboring cities, part of our Area A, which is West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Culver City." Another staff member said joint trainings reduce the chance that volunteers or staff will be working together for the first time during an actual incident, easing mutual-aid coordination.

Organizers encouraged interested residents and volunteers to visit go.weho.org/cert for more information and registration. The transcript did not specify event dates, instructor names beyond the job title, or a definition for the acronym "SARP."