Community Corner

CERT Members Learn Bomb Safety

Maybe not to love them, but at least how to neutralize them.

They may not be Dr. Strangelove, but four members of Chatham Borough's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) recently learned all about bombs.

Liz Holler, Elaine Dangler, Amands Stent and Ed Switel attended a training session on Monday, July 30 at the Morris County Public Safety Academy. The training was conducted by Morris County Sheriff Bomb Squad members, designed to help them assist local fire and police departments in recognizing and dealing with bombs and suspicious packages.

Sheriff Officers Richard Warnett and Bill Laird hosted the two-hour class in which they taught CERT members  what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. Bomb squad equipment was used and explained during the class, which concluded with a live demonstration of how a suspicious package can be neutralized using a controlled explosive device.

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Chatham Borough Police and Fire Departments last responded to a suspicious package in May 2011, when a briefcase was found near the .

The CERT Programs in both Chatham Borough and Chatham Township teach ordinary citizens with no other emergency preparedness background how to respond to various emergencies. CERT teams help the community when other emergency responders may be overwhelmed, such as during or the .

Find out what's happening in Chathamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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