Three NERT basic training sessions are open on the SFFD calendar right now, each one spanning six evenings. Twenty-four hours total, spent in a room with people you have not met, assessing building damage, practicing triage, learning to shut off a gas valve. All worth knowing. Six weeks of showing up to the same room on the same evening, doing unfamiliar things alongside the same strangers, is also how names get learned and acquaintance starts to hold.
Sessions begin July 30, September 2, and September 15. A citywide drill on October 17 gathers graduates for a full-scale practice scenario; last spring's version drew more than 200 volunteers. The program is free. Michael Kelly is the Sunnyside NERT coordinator, reachable at nert.sunnyside@gmail.com.
July 30 – Sept 3 · Thursdays, 5:30–9:30 p.m. · Division of Training, 2310 Folsom St
Sept 2 – Oct 7 · Wednesdays, 5:30–9:30 p.m. · University of San Francisco
Sept 15 – Oct 20 · Tuesdays, 5:30–9:30 p.m. · Division of Training, 2310 Folsom St
Oct 17 citywide drill · 8 a.m.–2 p.m. · Location TBD on SFFD calendar
Who can join: Anyone who lives or works in San Francisco. No experience required.
To register: Create a free account at the NERT Member Portal, select a session, check the box for all six classes. Missed one? Make it up with another cohort within six months.
Kelly's line: nert.sunnyside@gmail.com · (650) 877-2447