Community Emergency Response Teams across Trinidad and Tobago came together to compete in a disaster simulation exercise called CERT Games 2026. The exercise at the Queens Park Savannah on Sunday, gave the teams an opportunity to practice their disaster response skills in preparation for any major natural disaster that could hit T&T.
Teams from various communities were grouped into North, South, East and Central zones according to the regional corporation under which they operate.
Jerry David, Senior Disaster Management Coordinator in the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government is the originator of the CERT Games.
He told TTT this is the second edition of the games and explained the objective of the competition.
“So what you’re going to see today is members of your communities who we have trained. And you would see them doing skills. We taught them disaster medical operations. How do you keep people alive until the professional first responders arrive. Search and rescue, the techniques to move people safely when they are in danger. You will see if they are under rubble or they are under some heavy object, you will see today how they will crib, how they will remove those bodies.”
Mr David said the community members were taught about not only physical response in the event of a disaster, but also how to render emotional and psychological help to their neighbours.
“We are also teaching them some soft skills, and that is, we call it psychological first aid, because when people are traumatised, you have to know how to deal with them. So communities can be assured that there are individuals when something happened before the first responders arrive. Because you know very well the first person you will see after a major hazard or, a major disaster is your neighbours. Remember that. So that’s why we are training the neighbourhood to help each other out.”
Persons interested in becoming a member of their Community Emergency Response Team can contact their regional corporation for more information.