The DeWitt County Office of Emergency Management will offer free Community Emergency Response Team training classes.
"The community will benefit with an extra resource to assist the police, fire department and EMS," said Cyndi Smith, Emergency Management coordinator for DeWitt County.
The response team would help the first responders with some of their basic duties, assisting in community events and disasters.
As an example, Smith said the team could assist people at an accident providing them with first aid, while the responders focus on critically injured patients.
"The team will help out members in the community when first responders aren't available," said Roel Esparza, fire coordinator with the Texas A&M Forest Service and class instructor.
Esparza said the training will be done in a classroom setting.
Each class will focus on different subjects dealing with emergency response like how to treat someone who is injured, search and rescue and disaster psychology to help people cope with stress of a disaster.
People interested must attend all the classes prior to receiving their certificate, identification card and be placed on the emergency response roster.
The county has received a grant to purchase equipment bags for use during an emergency, but they are looking for sponsors to fund additional bags, Smith said.
With the training Smith hopes to establish a team of volunteers in Cuero, Yorktown and Yoakum.
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