I thought it could be helpful to record some short videos showing some of the adaptions and modifications that we made to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course here in Brazil. Unfortunately the quality of the videos isn't that great, however I hope that could be of use to those who are adapting the standard CERT course for use in different cross-cultural applications.

These videos are on my Youtube channel, however here some links and brief explanations as well.

Today I was able to take some of the members of our Teen CERT group to visit the Nova Friburgo division of the Rio de Janeiro State Military Fire Department (CBMERJ). The young folk were shown through the ALS ambulance, rescue vehicle and fire engine and received demonstrations of equipment including breathing apparatus and the jaws of life. They then had the opportunity to practise using hose lines.

Our Teen CERT group helped run a display in the local bus station today as part of a Day of Social Action. It was a great opportunity to show the general public our CERT and first aid courses, and seven of teenagers took part in the event.

Here are some photos from the day.

In the last week of the school holidays, from the 30th of January to the 3rd of February, I held a Teen CERT course for local teenagers, with the help of the young people from our teens' group. The course went very well, and I have posted a photo gallery from the week below.

Today our Teen CERT group helped out with a Civil Defence public awareness display in the Nova Friburgo main square. It was great to have our teens involved, and our location right next to the fire department meant that they got to check a lot of the fire fighters' interesting gear!

Check out some of the photos from the morning:

We had a meeting of our teens' group tonight and a surprise party, partly to celebrate Brazilian Childrens' Day, which is next Wednesday, and partly as a social activity as we probably won't have a chance to have another meeting until I get back from New Zealand in mid-December.

It was also an opportunity for six of our teenagers to receive their new ranks within our group structure, including Kevin who is the first member of the group to be awarded the Junior Commander rank.

Turnout was less than expected, which was not doubt due, at least in part, to a shooting (death) that happened here in the hillside last night, and the environment here which feels like we are in a state of siege at the moment. Neverless, the meeting went very well and the party was a great success.

Here are some photos from our meeting tonight.

Today we finished the CERT Communications Course theory component for some of our Teen CERT members. This is a required course for them to be able to use our GMRS hand-held radios. 

We had a great Teen CERT meeting and land search and rescue exercise today. I was especially impressed by the teen leaders in tonight's exercise.

Here are some photos of the exercise:

We have just finished another Teen CERT course in the suburb of Cordoeira - Nova Friburgo, which was a great success. Here are some photos from the course:

Over the long weekend we ran a three-day camp for nine of the members of teens' group. It was a great time and here are some of the photos from the camp.

Once again, our Teen CERT group participated in a Civil Defence evacuation simulation. Thanks to Felipe Lisboa and all the teens that took part!

Our Teen CERT group helped out with a Civil Defence evacuation simulation today. Thanks to all who participated and especially to Felipe Lisboa for his participation as team leader.

Here are some photos:

This week we held another Teen CERT course in the suburb of Cordoeira, Nova Friburgo, which served as both a induction course for new members and a refresher for the existing Teen CERT members. The course went very well, and here are some photos from the week.

Today we held a simulated bus accident exercise for our Teen CERT group, with help from the adult members of our response unit. The exercise went very well and much enjoyed by all who participated.

Last night we held a CPR lesson for some of our teens, with the help of a visitor from the UK.

Here are some photos of the lesson:

Today we finished another week-long Teen CERT course at the Cordoeira Residents' Association hall in Nova Friburgo with help from the members of our CERT and Teen CERT groups. The course went very well and we had a great final exercise, based around a simulated aircraft crash, with help from a visiting team of overseas missionaries.

Here are some photos from the course and final simulation exercise:

Some of our teens helped me teach a first aid course at a local State School this morning, which went very well.

Here are some photos of the course.

Today our teens' response unit participated in a simulated evacuation exercise with Civil Defence, ate pizza (and pancakes with IHOP syrup, candy corn and peanut butter Oreos) and did a Bible Study.

Today some members of our teens' group participated in a Civil Defence emergency warning system test and evacuation simulation.

Today we took some of the teens in our group to the  Friburgo Municipal Park where we practised flood rescue training and the use of life jackets.

This week I finished another Teen CERT course at a municipal school in the suburb of Granja Spinelli, here in Nova Friburgo - RJ, which was badly impacted by the landslides back in January 2011 and, sadly, still shows the scars of that devastation.

21 young people completed the course, which was very encouraging to see, and I am planning to ran another course for another group starting tomorrow.

Here are some photos from the week.

Howdy,

Last week we ran another Teen CERT course, this time for a dozen teenagers who study at the Escola Municipal Dante Magliano here Nova Friburgo. The course went very well, and it was good to see how the young people learned the basic of emergency preparedness and response during the 20 hour course.

These courses, which are running free-of-charge, have been very well received, and is good to see that we can help prepare our city, which was impacted by  Brazil's worst natural disaster back in 2011. Unfortunately, the recently released Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Plan shows that over 18,000 residents in our city continue to live in houses which have a high to very-high risk of collapse in the event of heavy rainfall.

This past week we have just finished teaching another Teen CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) course in the suburb of Cordoeira, Nova Friburgo - RJ. As you can see from the photos, there is still a lot of damage around from the landslides that happened in January 2011, and as we are soon to be coming into the rainy season once again, it is good to be focussing once again on community preparedness.

It was a great time, albeit very busy, and you can see how we have been able to obtain and prepare the necessary equipment so as offer the course free of charge to the young people of this at-risk suburb.

Hi,

I have just finished a very busy but profitable week, running the Teen CERT disaster response course for two groups of teenagers at a local school. In all, we had 24 students who completed the training.

One of the highlights of the week, for me, was hearing from a young man who had completed the Teen CERT training last year, and told me how that he had used his new found first-aids skills three times since then, including at two traffic accidents.

In June and July I ran three Teen-CERT courses in schools in Rio de Janeiro's mountainous region, in the cities of Petrópolis, Teresópolis and Nova Friburgo.

These courses were part of an ongoing program run by Fundação Abrinq / Save The Children Brazil, in partnership with CARE Brazil and with funding from the European Comission.

On the 11th to 13th of January 2012, our response team ran a short Teen CERT course for teenagers from the Morro of Cordoeira. The kids loved it and have asked if we can't run another course next week!

Here are some photos from the course.