How long have you been involved with CERT and what interested you in joining?
I have been a CERT member since 2016. I first became interested in becoming a CERT witnessing my neighbors as they performed CERT training exercises once or twice a year as they did neighborhood surveys simulating their work after a disaster. It became clear that they would age out of being an active CERT and would need new volunteers to continue the community service program.
Please share a contribution of yours within CERT that you are most proud of?
I am humbled when I think about my contributions to our CERT group. There is so much more I can learn about being a good disaster service worker (DSW). Therefore, I think my biggest contribution is my determination to stick with it and keep on learning and contributing to the efficient functioning of CERT and our community in the event of a disaster.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of being a CERT member for you personally?
Being part of a community of kind, caring and friendly neighbors working together to make our community safer in many ways is very rewarding. The yearly help we give to community events, particularly in case of a medical emergency at a parade or picnic is rewarding.
How has your involvement with CERT changed your perspective on emergency preparedness in our community?
My appreciation of our Fire District and their personnel has grown. They are a dedicated group of public servants who seek to lead our CERT community to become better disaster service workers. It has increased my vision of the great need our town has for more participants. This has increased my focus on reaching our community with the message of how everyone can help in the event of a disaster or community event!
What advice would you give to residents who are considering joining CERT or want to learn more about personal preparedness?
I would recommend that every family have one member who takes a personal preparedness workshop. I took mine in 2016 after being in the 2015 Napa earthquake. The workshop covered basic information on keeping your family and neighborhood safe.
For those thinking about joining the CERT community I would say – give it a try. You won’t be asked to do more than you can handle. There are plenty of roles for those who maybe think they are too old or not so physically capable. Hopefully we will be expanding those ways in which everyone can be of help to our neighbors and our community. That’s the plan!
