Community Emergency Response Team Seeking New Squad Members
Kerr County residents who want to serve their fellow citizens in their times of greatest need are urged to consider joining the ranks of the Kerr County Community Emergency Response Team just ahead of its upcoming February training dates.
“We are looking for some new recruits to join our team. What we need are folks who can keep a cool head in an emergency situation, who never hesitate to jump into action when needed, and who want to be trained, ready and able to help their neighbors when there is a real need,” said Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator William B. “Dub” Thomas.
“If this sounds like you or, maybe, someone you know, please consider or urge them to consider becoming a full-fledged CERT member,” Thomas said.
CERT will be hosting a 9 a.m. recruitment event Feb. 10 at the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office Training Room, located next door to the sheriff’s office at 400 Clearwater Paseo Drive in Kerrville. The event comes just ahead of the squad’s annual, mandatory training class scheduled the weekend of Feb. 23-25.
“Those on the CERT squad are the first ‘boots on the ground’ after a disaster strikes and, often in less-than-ideal circumstances, provide situation assessments and recon for uniformed emergency personnel before their agencies can respond and arrive on scene,” Thomas said. “So, we are looking for people who have the presence of mind during stressful events to provide damage assessments, tackle the logistics of organizing volunteer responses and maybe even the distribution of food and emergency resources to the people who are adversely impacted by disasters of any nature.”
“We need a few people who are willing to step up and lend a hand to citizens in a variety of ways when it absolutely matters the most,” Thomas added.
Disaster response and recovery efforts require more helping hands that those provided by uniformed officers, firefighters and EMS personnel, he continued. A significant portion of any response and recovery is done by volunteers who are willing to do what’s needed.
A requirement to be on the squad is completion of the basic training weekend. The one in February will cover such training topics as disaster preparedness, fire safety and utility controls, disaster medical operations light search and rescue operations, CERT organization, disaster psychology, terrorism and more.
Kerr County CERT meets the second Thursday of each month at the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, 400 Clearwater Paseo in Kerrville.
Applications to be a CERT squad member are available at https://www.co.kerr.tx.us/sheriff/cert/apps.html.
For more questions or information, contact Thomas at wthomas@co.kerr.tx.us or at 830-315-2430 during regular business hours.