A six-week Community Emergency Response Team course for Palo Alto residents will begin next week, according to the Palo Alto Fire Department Office of Emergency Services.

The Palo Alto Neighborhood Disaster Activities (PANDA) course will take place starting Wednesday, Oct. 7, and continue through Nov. 5. The course is free to Palo Alto residents and both morning and evening sessions still have openings, according to Emergency Manager Barbara Cimino.

PANDA volunteers learn how to respond to emergency situations and disasters.

"Upon completion of this course, you will have important skills that enable you to respond to the community during a disaster when professional first responders are overwhelmed," Cimino said.

The training is hands-on and topics covered include disaster medical treatment, hazards, terrorism, utility control, damage assessment, fire suppression, initial search and rescue, and organization.