Latest news with #CERT
The Citizen
3 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Essential safety training for first responders in Three Rivers
Essential safety training for first responders in Three Rivers VEREENIGING – The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is presenting an Emergency Scene Safety course on June 28 at the Frontline of Hope Community Church, 13 Bashee Street, Three Rivers. The course runs from 08:00 to 14:00, and the R350 fee includes lunch, tea, and coffee. This course is designed to equip first responders and volunteers with practical skills to ensure safety at emergency scenes. Topics include the core principles of scene safety, proper use of safety equipment, communication and record keeping, managing helicopter landing zones, and variables that may affect safety during incidents. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance. The course has previously received positive feedback from participants and is considered an essential tool for anyone involved in emergency response or scene management. Payments must be made by June 25 to secure attendance. Banking details: Bank: Standard Bank Account Name: CERT-SA Diversity Group Account Number: 10137594478 Branch Code: 2645 Use your name as reference. For more information or to secure your spot, contact Pierre Wheeler on 072 736 8608 At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
New standards may be needed for NZ's critical communications infrastructure
Officials are now looking into whether there should be minimum standards for critical infrastructure for cyber-protection. File photo. Photo: 123RF Government officials are looking at developing minimum standards for the protection of critical communications infrastructure. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment officials joined Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith in a select committee hearing about communications infrastructure on Tuesday. They confirmed the work started by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to look into cyber resilience for critical national infrastructure was continuing. The project sought consulation from the public in mid-2023 over potential reform and Cabinet in December last year agreed on a National Risk and Resilience Framework to manage risks able to "potentially derail us as a country". The officials said the project was now looking into whether there should be minimum standards for critical infrastructure for cyber-protection. "Most of my conversations with the telecommunications providers in New Zealand, it's obviously they're very, very, very aware of this risk, and it's something they take extremely seriously," MBIE general manager James Hartley told MPs on the committee. He also said a separate project - the Pacific Cyber Security Initiative - had been transferred from the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) to the Government Communications Security Bureau spy agency. It follows an Australian naval ship - the HMAS Canberra - shutting down wireless internet and radio services across much of New Zealand by accident. Hartley said that appeared to be a case of human error. "There is a pretty well established process for visiting naval ships coming to New Zealand, where they apply through MFAT for the frequencies they would like to use when they're in the jurisdiction of New Zealand. "It looks like in this case, the ship may have forgotten to turn its radar off. So that's obviously concerning. Once officials were alerted to that, that was escalated through Defense Force and through the Australian Defense Force and back to the ship, the HMS Canberra , for resolution." Goldsmith said the incident was a concern to him. "That's a ongoing conversation... it is a concern, and we wouldn't want to see it happen too often." During the hearing, Goldsmith also confirmed sattelite communications providers - like Elon Musk's Starlink, and other competitors moving to make use of the technology - would need to be looked at in terms of whether they would need to be regulated in the same ways domestic providers were. Hartley said there were two aspects to that: whether those providers would need to pay the Telecommunications Development Levy, and whether they could be included in dispute resolution provisions like those offered to customers of domestic providers. Goldsmith said, however, that New Zealand had good connectivity overall and with more competition it was going to become "fundamentally almost going to be impossible to get lost in this country in before too long, and which, which, you know, will be transformational in terms of search and rescue and all those sorts of things". The government was also looking at setting up more 5G cell towers. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
New program could give Austin's 1st responders more help during emergencies
AUSTIN (KXAN) — When disaster strikes, first responders and their resources can become stretched thin. A new pilot program could help alleviate that pressure through community volunteer efforts. During a severe storm at the end of May, the Austin Fire Department responded to more than 700 emergency calls during the first hours of the severe weather. One person died and others were injured in a series of water rescues during those storms. AFD: 700+ emergency calls made during first few hours of severe weather Wednesday Agencies hope a new pilot program that trains volunteers in emergency preparedness and response will ultimately save lives. The city of Austin's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) said it's launching the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) pilot program this summer. CERT programs offer volunteer training that first responders can rely on during disasters, according to HSEM. These programs are in all 50 states and have expanded to include specialized programs for teenagers, college campuses and workplaces. The three Austin CERT basic courses this summer will focus on fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, shelter management, team organization and disaster preparedness. People who complete the course and training exercise will receive a certificate and CERT kit, which includes a number of preparedness and response tools and items, and a CERT helmet and vest to identify volunteers on-site during response activities, according to HSEM. The launch of the CERT pilot was made possible through a grant, originally written and submitted by HSEM staffer Cindy Hood. HSEM said Hood died after a battle with cancer, and the pilot program is dedicated in her memory. CERT classes will be offered three times this summer as part of the pilot program. Details can be found at The basic classes include 24 hours of instruction over multiple days. HSEM asks that people only sign up if they can commit to finishing the course. Registrants must have a FEMA Student Identification Number (FEMA SID). If you don't already have one, you can register to get a FEMA SID online. Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register HERE Monday-Thursday, 1-7 p.m. Register HERE Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register HERE HSEM said participants who complete the courses and exercises will get a certificate and CERT kit, which includes preparedness and response tools, a CERT helmet and a volunteer vest to be worn during response activities. Although not required, HSEM said students are encouraged to take the free, online FEMA Independent Study IS-317: Introduction to CERT course, which will provide some more background to CERT and examples of what CERT volunteers can do during emergencies, HSEM said. Local first responder agencies have been facing struggles with staffing for the last several years. Some Austin-area first responder agencies have reported this year that they're finally slowly recovering from staffing shortages. The Austin Police Department's new chief, Lisa Davis, told KXAN in April that things were going in the right direction in terms of staffing, and she expected vacancy rates to drop significantly over the next few years. A city audit released that month tracked vacancy rates and strategies from 2020 through 2024. During that time, the vacancy rate increased from 7.4% to 18%. Davis said she expected vacancy rates to drop significantly over the next few years. APD hopeful about staffing despite audit claiming ineffective recruitment practices Austin-Travis County EMS Chief of Staff Wesley Hopkins also told KXAN in April that vacancy rates within that department were the best they've been in years. However, later that month, in a document obtained by KXAN, ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz said that the agency continues 'to innovate and challenge the status quo of EMS deployment' but that its current mode of operations are 'not sustainable.' Austin-Travis EMS temporary pilot program could free up ambulances 'The department has become increasingly dependent on the use of overtime, on-call pay, and calling employees into work on their days off. As the department approaches full staffing, this model is not sustainable,' he wrote. In the document, he said that a temporary program would be piloted to alleviate pressure on emergency services. The program had ATCEMS start using more 'single paramedic responder vehicles' instead of ambulances on most calls. Single responder vehicles are faster than an ambulance, but can't transport patients. 'I am excited to see Austin HSEM offering advanced emergency preparedness training like CERT to the public,' HSEM Director Jim Redick said in a press release. 'A prepared community is a resilient community. CERT is another way for us to connect with the public and help them ready themselves and their neighborhoods for disaster.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Express Tribune
06-06-2025
- Express Tribune
Women facing digital harassment: CERT
In the context of the recent murder of a TikToker, Pakistan's National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) has issued an advisory, noting that women continue to face persistent threats such as image-based abuse and digital harassment in Pakistan. The advisory — titled Safe, Diligent, and Responsible Usage of Social Media — has painted a stark picture of the digital threat landscape in Pakistan, highlighting risks that affect millions particularly children, women, and elderly users — who are increasingly vulnerable to exploitation, misinformation, emotional manipulation, and online abuse. CERT has noted that these threats are compounded by inadequate reporting channels and low digital literacy, while flagging a worrying increase in cyber incidents affecting children, including exposure to explicit content and online grooming. According to the advisory, platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, and Facebook dominate the digital space, especially among youth, providing avenues for expression, education, and activism. "However, these platforms are also fertile ground for disinformation campaigns, phishing scams, impersonation, harassment, and algorithm driven psychological manipulation." A young TikToker, Sana Yousuf, was tragically shot dead in the federal capital on June 2. The suspect, 22-year-old Umar Hayat — also a social media content creator — allegedly killed Sana after she rejected his offer of friendship. Sana Yousuf, 17, had more than one million followers on social media, The advisory said manipulation of user emotions through provocative content and the constant comparison promoted by curated online lives has also contributed to increasing stress and mental health issues.
Calgary Herald
31-05-2025
- Calgary Herald
Five youths charged after deploying bear spray at bus near Chinook station
Article content Five youths have been charged after bear spray was deployed near a transit bus by Chinook Station. Article content Article content According to a news release, police allege two groups of youths became involved in an altercation at a bus stop near Third Street and 61 Avenue S.W., near the Chinook CTrain station, on Friday, May 23 at 3:40 p.m. Article content As one group attempted to board a bus, members of the group allegedly sprayed bear spray near the open door, affecting the victims, the bus driver and uninvolved passengers on the bus. The group then fled the scene. Article content Article content The suspects were located and arrested within minutes by members of the Calgary Police Service (CPS) Community Engagement Response Team (CERT) and Calgary Transit Public Safety. Article content Article content Three girls aged 14, 15 and 16 and two boys aged 14 and 16 have been charged with four counts each of assault with a weapon. Article content Two girls aged 15 and 16 and one boy aged 14 are scheduled to appear in court on Friday, June 20. Article content The 14-year-old girl has also been charged with failure to comply with a release order. She is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The 16-year-old boy has also been charged with two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, one count of an imitation weapon for a dangerous purpose and one count of failure to comply with a release order. He was scheduled to appear in court on Friday, May 30. Article content None of the youths can be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Article content Article content 'Safety on public transit and in public spaces is a top priority for the Calgary Police Service and our Safer Calgary partners,' said Acting Staff Sgt. Derek Klassen. 'As part of Operation Safer Calgary, CERT members have been strategically deployed to these areas to ensure public safety. This proactive deployment allowed for seamless collaboration with our partners at Transit Public Safety and the timely arrest of these suspects. Violence on transit and in public spaces will not be tolerated in our city. We remain committed to holding those who choose to commit these acts of violence accountable for their actions as we work to make Calgary a safer place for everyone.'
