CERT training should not be cut

The Glendale Fire Department’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training program is an essential tool for our community. It should never be cut from the department’s budget (“Fire Dept. plan would save city $2.5M,” May 26).

CERT training is designed to prepare people to help themselves, their families and their neighbors in the event of a major disaster. We all hope to never personally face a catastrophic earthquake or fire, but let’s face it, in California, it’s not if the Big One hits, but when.

Many of our neighborhoods are isolated by narrow streets, hills and ravines. Wherever you live, emergency services will not get to you immediately. Because of lost communications and the scale of the event, you will have to be self-sufficient.

Can you use a fire extinguisher? Could you remove your spouse from under a collapsed wall? Can you make a stretcher with one sheet and 2 poles?

Can you assess the damage to the house your mom lives in up the street to determine if it is safe to enter?

CERT training teaches these things and much more. Burbank and the city of Los Angeles have exemplary CERT programs. This program is not an option for Glendale.

We completed Glendale’s 20-hour CERT Training program and recommend that everyone living and working in Glendale take the course.

Check https://fire.ci.glendale.ca.us/certprogram.asp for more information and sign up now.

Arlene Vidor, Cathy Hrenda and Patty Silversher

Glendale

No chance for the will of the people

Dan Kimber was correct in his conclusion that today’s students will be tomorrow’s reformers, and that they will have their hands full (“Education Matters: History often repeats itself,” May 13).

In my opinion, as long as congressional conservatives dominate the U.S. House of Representatives and have the filibuster [with which] to control the Senate, the will of the average person, including the will of future reformers, doesn’t have a chance.

Corporatists, the Military Industrial Complex powers, President Reagan-worshiping government-and-tax haters and trickle-down economy ideologues, global-warming deniers/economy-comes-first adherents, flat-earthers and choice opponents and Fox News/Rush ditto-heads will continue to prevent the emergence of a Progressive Movement.

As a result, the rich will become richer, the middle class will continue to diminish and become part of the working poor and senior citizens, poor folks and women will be disempowered.

Is this really the kind of country we want to hand our children?

Clarence Treat

Glendale