ANN ARBOR—The Michigan Citizen Corps, the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division of the Michigan State Police and the University of Michigan Department of Public Safety will conduct a full-day training program for Michigan Stadium staff on Aug. 12.

The training, which will be held at the U-M football stadium, is based on the Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) training coordinated state-wide by the Michigan Citizen Corps. It has been developed specifically for the ” yellow jacket” event staff who work at all major U-M Athletic Department events.

CERT training is designed to train civilians to help provide critical support to emergency service personnel in the event of a disaster. Members of a CERT team will have the skills to assist emergency responders save lives and protect property. The U-M training session will include disaster preparedness, fire safety and response, disaster medical operations (instructed by staff from Huron Valley Ambulance) and terrorism awareness.

The eight-hour program will conclude with a disaster scenario to provide an opportunity for the teams to practice their new skills.

This is the first time that CERT training has been applied to college athletics in the state of Michigan. Funding for the program was made available through a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

The U-M Athletic Department, DPS, the Michigan Citizen Corps and MSP are active partners in working to provide a safe and secure environment for all participants and guests of the University’s athletic programs.

Contacts during the training session are: Lt. Jesse Lewit, U-M Department of Public Safety, (734) 763-3434; Sgt. Keven Sweeney, Michigan State Police; and Jay Roorbach, Michigan Citizen Corps.