First responders can’t always cover some of the more routine aspects of their jobs during widespread emergencies. Often, a second level of support is needed to answer phones from a central location or organize shelters during large storms.
This is where CERTs, or Community Emergency Response Teams step in. Their presence relieves first responders of those tasks so that they can actively tend to incidents. Clifton Park’s group has been running since 2004 and with 70members, it is one of 24 in the state.
Other CERTs include teams at SUNY Oneonta, Rensselaer County and the Champlain Valley. Nationally, there are 2,050 teams. CERTS are made up of volunteer community residents trained in basic first aid, CPR and other areas. Training enables them to be at the ready when requested by their community to respond to emergencies including lost children, wildfires, explosions, tropical storms or power outages.
Mandatory basic CERT training in the amount of 30 hours is required of all participants, along with regular refresher courses.
CERTs formed in 1994 by FEMA, operating under the larger umbrella of Citizens Corps. They are funded in part by Homeland Security, Citizens Corps and state agencies, according to FEMA’s National CERT Director Rachael Jacky.
Many times people who want to help aren’t aware of how to do it safely or without interfering with what professional responders are doing.
“CERT deals with all of those challenges and makes sure that its volunteers are a 100 percent good thing for communities,” Jacky said.
Clifton Park’s Director of Community Development and CERT, Barbara McHugh coordinates operations of the town’s team and said they receive an average of $10,000 annually. Usually the team “breaks even” between those funds and community events like National Night Out in July.
Town Supervisor Phil Barrett is the team’s emergency manager, the person responsible for activating the group to respond to emergencies.
“It’s a great way to provide residents with training, not only in public safety planning but in their day-to-day lives. It’s all about neighbors helping neighbors and makes everybody more prepared for emergencies,” said Barrett.
Ronald Volungus, 70, has been on Clifton Park’s CERT since it began and said being on the team “makes you more self-reliant”.
“Whether there is an emergency at home or on the road, somebody should be able to pass on the proper information (to first responders). Just being able to provide basic first aid, you’re able to help,” he said.
Working with local police, firefighters and other organizations are essential to CERT’s mission.
“In our mind, emergency preparedness and public safety are inextricably tied. We’re partners of the same guild, if you will,” said McHugh.
“This past January a large group joined the Town Of Malta CERT …and attended an American Red Cross sheltering operations class. We will work with other towns any time. Our CECRT volunteers operate the town emergency shelters when activated and have done that at least three times in the last seven years,” said McHugh.
“We need to partner with other agencies simply because we can’t do it all and neither can other agencies,” said Executive Director for the American Red Cross’ Adirondack Saratoga Chapter Gary Ferris.
Clifton Park CERT was activated during last year’s Hurricane Irene. Members answered phones at Town Hall at the emergency operations center informing residents of what roads were closed and where emergency shelters were. The team was also instrumental in setting up the shelters.
CERT handles basics like providing shelter, food, water and communication so the active responders like fire and police personnel can do their jobs. They can also provide a perimeter or barrier between an incident like a multi-building fire and “the curious” to avoid further confusion of a situation.
In addition to assisting communities on a whole, CERTs help to educate residents about how they can be safe.
“During a natural disaster, the recommendation is to have enough medicine and supplies that would include fresh water for three days. It’s just very possible that you may not be able to be evacuated or reached in a severe blizzard for at least three days,” McHugh said.
She also suggests that everybody should have a communications plan.
“Very simply, it’s having a communications contact outside of your community. … If your community is in the throes of a disaster, lines of communication … may not be functioning. As soon as you can communicate, it’s probably easier communicating with somebody downstate or out in Buffalo,” she said.
The plan enables a friend or family member out of the area to be a point of contact for your family to let them know your location and status.
“We know that when an emergency occurs and is widespread that community members step up. That’s a great thing about Americans,” said Jacky.
For more information on CERT, visit citizencorps.gov.
