Last Saturday, a pretend tornado hit Coosa Valley High School in Harpersville. The mock storm was designed to prepare residents in case the real thing ever happened.

The Shelby County Emergency Management Agency conducted training on Dec. 9 for citizens involved in its CERT program.

CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and is composed of community volunteers.

&8220;The program&8217;s purpose is to prepare citizens for real disasters,&8221; said Mindy Nash, administrative assistant at the Shelby County EMA.

In order to be a certified member, volunteers must attend a seven-week class and participate in mock exercises.

Nash said it is important to have community members who know what to do in an emergency.

&8220;These people live in their communities, and are often the first responders,&8221; she said.