The Mississippi State University Campus-Community Emergency Response Team and the Maroon Volunteer Center will conjoin to offer training opportunities during Emergency Preparedness Week Sept. 16-21. Training sessions are free and open to MSU students, faculty, staff and Starkville and Oktibbeha County residents. 
Meggan Franks, assistant director at Mississippi State University Office of Student Leadership & Community Engagement and a member of C-CERT, said training is conducted by experts in disaster preparedness and agency representatives. Last year, 130 people were trained — 13 of which were students. 
“The feedback we received was extremely positive, so that is why we made the week longer,” Franks said. 
Franks said the events will help participants be prepared to cope with disastrous situations.
“Our agencies have emergency preparedness advice and experience that students, faculty, staff and community members could find valuable and helpful,” Franks said. 
Franks said students will obtain a certificate upon completion of the training. This is also an exclusive opportunity to meet experts in disaster preparedness and agency representatives from various agencies. 
“How to be prepared when a natural disaster strikes? This is information everyone needs,” Franks said. “It’s a great opportunity that any students, regardless of whether they have an interest in disaster preparedness or not, as it’s information that they need and their future families will need.” 
Sessions will be offered at least twice a day during emergency preparedness week. C-CERT members and various agency representatives will lead the sessions, which will include everything from fire extinguisher training to a storm chaser’s presentation.
 “On Thursday, there is an opportunity to participate in an Emergency Preparedness Expert Panel with agency representatives from Starkville and Oktibbeha County,” Franks said. “And create a disaster preparedness kit and participate in a First Aid and AED/CPR refresher course, among other sessions.”
Ryan Akers, assistant extension professor of crisis preparation and disaster management,  said Emergency Preparedness Week and P.R.E.P Workshop are part of MSU C-CERT’s outreach mission and are offered free of charge to the university community and citizens of Starkville and Oktibbeha County.
“We’re very proud of the extensive program, which is certainly unique among other campus CERT programs in the state,” Akers said. “And we are very appreciative of the opportunity to partner with the Maroon Volunteer Center again in this endeavor. Their assistance and support of this week helps enable us to offer a fantastic array of programs to all involved.”
Akers said the MSU C-CERT is an organized team made of 27 faculty, staff and graduate students from the university who are dedicated to offer service to MSU community, Starkville and Oktibbeha County in times of emergency disaster.
“CERT teams and C-CERT teams provide invaluable resources in times of community need,” he said. “Team members are trained in a variety of response and recovery functions that can prevent and treat certain injuries and could possibly prevent fatalities.” 
Akers said participants of the EPW and P.R.E.P. will benefit from fantastic programs devised to increase awareness and enhance individual and family preparedness protocols. 
“We received fantastic feedback from our audience for last year’s one-day program,” he said.  “With the expanded schedule this year, we are anticipating a wider reach and are excited about the potential impact we can make with respect to emergency preparedness in our locales.”
Akers said he encourages everyone to take advantage of the emergency week’s wide range of activities because all events are free and door prizes will be available. The more programs a student registers for and attends, the greater the chance they have to win door prizes. 
“We always implore our community to take ownership in their own safety and security. We give them strategies that address just that,” Akers said. “You cannot always rely on others to protect you and your family in the event of a major disaster when local resources are overwhelmed.”
 Darion Evans, senior ITS major, said he is interested in the program because he thinks it is necessary for people to always be prepared to save lives. 
“Maybe every dorm on campus should have individual training sessions,” he said. “Or maybe MSU can even have an emergency training course that is mandatory for freshmen.”