Rochester program first in nation open to deaf citizens

From: WSTM-TV - Syracuse,NY,USA - Jan 25, 2005

ROCHESTER, N.Y. An upstate county's emergency response training program for citizens has become the first in the nation to welcome a class of deaf and hard of hearing students. The Community Emergency Response Team program is designed as a homeland security measure. It trains citizens to respond to emergencies with basic survival and first-aid skills. They're also trained to help police and rescue workers with basic search and firefighting skills.

Monroe County officials say the same training will now be available to the Rochester-area's deaf and hard of hearing community. The Rochester region is home to thousands of deaf citizens because of a major school for the deaf and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf are located in the area.

N-T-I-D officials worked with Monroe Community College to adapt the emergency training materials for the deaf.

(Bud Lowell, WXXI, Rochester)

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