Volunteering, like disaster preparedness, is a year-round activity. If members of your community are looking for opportunities to give back this year, consider encouraging them to join your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Team members receive training in basic medical operations, light search and rescue, and many other useful disaster skills. After competing their training, CERT volunteers may support their communities in a variety of different ways before, during, and after emergencies, including by providing information to the public, conducting residential checks, supporting traffic and crowd control efforts, staffing emergency operations centers, and more. CERT teams are typically sponsored by fire departments, police departments, or other local emergency management agencies that provide training to and manage volunteers.
There are more than 2,300 CERT programs nationwide that help their communities in a variety of different ways. Watch this video showing the Bridgewater, MA CERT in action during a recent blizzard that left the town without power; then check out FEMA’s blog and CERT Newsletter archiveshighlighting other great activities from teams around the country.
Learn more about CERT, find a team in your area, and encourage community members to start volunteering today. If a program doesn’t exist in your area, you may be able to help create one by contacting your State’s Point of Contact.
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