ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester community celebrated the first graduating class of the Deaf Community Emergency Responder Training Program, or CERT. This program provided crucial training for the deaf and hard of hearing, equipping them with basic disaster response skills and ensuring they can understand first responders during emergencies.

“The Rochester community itself has the largest per capita deaf population, so it’s a real gain for the community to have a team that’s designed directly to communicate with them directly in American Sign Language, and to satisfy the needs of any other disabilities that might be out there,” said Matthew Parsley, a CERT volunteer.

The program aimed to empower the deaf community by improving their emergency response capabilities and fostering effective communication with first responders.

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