Animal Shelter Volunteers Complete Training In Community Emergency Rescue

The following was submitted by BC Protect and Rescue Foundation:

Bergen County Humane Enforcement Officers and volunteers with BC Protect and Rescue Foundation located in Cliffside Park, NJ completed their course in Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and received their certificates and emergency kits on Thursday, Oct. 25 at the Senior Center in Fort Lee. 

The course, paid by the county, is to educate volunteers on emergency situations, how to respond to disaster situations and report to mandatory locations when instructed.   

Cathy Umrichin, Deputy Coordinator of the Fort Lee Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and Stewart DeVito Coordinator of the Borough of Cliffside Park OEM led the course.

Bergen County Humane Enforcement Officers and BCPR volunteers will continue and receive communication lessons, and their job will mainly focus on Community Animal Rescue Team (CART).  

Some members of the Cliffside Park OEM have also volunteered to be apart of CERT. This group is all volunteer and will start in March to follow up on continued education at various locations. This will enable all volunteers more hands-on training to further their education to help those in need. There will be refresher courses each year to update all involved. 

Volunteers are the link between victims and first responders if they cannot reach people quickly enough as they may be in other disastrous locations. The job of CERT and CART are to help aid first responders at disaster sites. The job of CERT can involve light search and rescue, helping those who are injured, flood victims, putting out small fires, etc. The job of CART will focus on helping animals in need of rescue and to establish and maintain a makeshift animal shelter.

We thank Cathy Umrichin and Stewart DeVito and other speakers for donating their time in putting this course together to educate those involved with helping others in need.

Together we will all make a difference in the lives of our community.

If you are interested in helping animals and want to volunteer with BC Protect and Rescue Foundation, please contact us at 201-945-0649 or check out our Facebook page.

To make a donation and help animals in need, visit to our website or mail your donation to BC Protect & Rescue Foundation, PO Box 1172, Fort Lee, NJ 07024.