Ron Michaud says there's nothing quite as rewarding as helping a neighbor in a time of need.

"It feels good when you help," he said.

Michaud, who belonged to the Community Emergency Response Team in Goffstown before moving to Bedford, is now helping to establish the new CERT team.

The town of Bedford's offering a free CERT basic training course, starting April 24, for 20 people. Those who graduate from the course are encouraged to join Bedford's team, though it is not a requirement.

The training, which will be put on by the state fire academy as the lead FEMA contact (the training's funded via FEMA grant), will be held Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bedford Safety Complex. It is a 22-hour class that will occur over four consecutive weeks.

Michaud, the acting director of the nascent Bedford CERT, said the training is "basic" but comprehensive. "It's a lot of knowledge you get in this 22-hour course," he said in an interview with Bedford Patch. "It's all hands-on work."

The topics to be covered are:

• Fire Safety
• Disaster medical operations
• Light Search and Rescue operations
• CERT organization
• Disaster psychology
• Terrorism and CERT
• Course review and disaster simulation
• Animal response

The training will educate people on what they should have in their homes in the event of an emergency and CERT volunteers will also be able to support local agencies in times of disaster, such as helping to organize emergency shelter in town.

Anyone 17 or older who would like to sign up for the free training class should contact Michaud at Bedfordcert@comcast.net, or call him at (603) 540-0182, or Bedford Police Capt. Daniel Douidi at 472-5113 Ext. 331.