Port Richmond Team & the NYC Parks Department Take On Outdoor Workshop to Strengthen Partnership

On Saturday, May 20, the Port Richmond CERT (Staten Island) worked with the NYC Parks & Recreation Department to conduct a course in compass orientation and land navigation at High Rock Park. Parks Department park rangers led the course, and guided the CERT team on a hike to the highest point of the park. In total, 13 CERT members and five Park Rangers participated.

The team was guided on a 90-minute hike to the highest point of the park, High Rock. Along with reinforcing the techniques learned in CERT training from OEM and other participating groups, the course also taught the team navigation by map and compass. Additionally, they learned to recognize and set landmarks throughout the trails. They were able to set up their own logistics and incident command tent, as well as prepare medical equipment that may have been needed for this type of response.

This course served as a refresher for members of the Port Richmond CERT, who are Search & Rescue Technicians (SARTECH), certified by the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR).

After CERT training, OEM encourages certified members to develop relationships with City agencies and other emergency response organizations. In doing so, CERT members build trust and promote awareness that they can support professionals during emergencies. This workshop was the start of a promising partnership between the Port Richmond Team and the NYC Parks Department.