Twice a week in January, a group of 8 volunteers has met with Warren County Office of Emergency Services staff to learn about how they can help local first responders when weather disasters and other emergencies unfold.
On Thursday, January 29, that training paid off as the group because the first members of Warren County’s new Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), an organization that will provide important support for first responders during emergencies and disasters.
Warren County Emergency Services Deputy Director Ashley Rivers has overseen the creation and training of the team, after Rivers and OES Director Ann Marie Mason saw the benefits that a trained group of volunteers could provide to first responders during emergencies and disasters.
“The CERT program allows the incident commander to use CERT members in non-critical functions, which allows first responders to concentrate on critical parts of their duties,” Rivers explained. “They are extra hands who are trained at a support level.”
CERT members can help distribute water during power outages, staff warming/cooling centers, and have training to provide basic First Aid, to triage victims, help with search and rescue, assist at big events such as Adirondack Balloon Festival and more.
They have been provided a backpack of gear they would need when responding, which includes helmet, vest, PPE, First Aid kit and more.
The 20 hours of training they completed has run the gamut, with Rivers and Warren County Deputy EMS Coordinator Jack Tims providing instruction on fire suppression, First Aid, incident command, emergency evacuations and much more.
Said Ann Marie Mason, Warren County Director of Emergency Services: “Joining a Community Emergency Response Team is more than an act of service -- it is a commitment to preparedness, responsibility, and community resilience.”
CERT teams have been formed around the U.S., starting in California in the 1980s. Planning for the Warren County CERT program has been underway for more than a year after OES discussions with the Warren County Board of Supervisors.
Twenty-five people who responded to public outreach about the new Warren County venture were chosen to be part of the initial group of trainees, out of 60 applicants. (Training for the remainder of the candidates will start in the coming weeks.)
The participants range in age from 20s to 70s, and include retirees as well as folks working in a variety of professions, from engineer to emergency dispatcher.
Bolton Landing resident Steve Flint, one of the first class of 8, said he decided to become a part of the CERT program after seeing the response to the July 2024 tornadoes in Warren County.
“It seemed like there was a need for more help, and I am glad I can be a part of it,” said Flint, a retired NYS Department of Environmental Conservation employee.
Members of the team will meet regularly to continue training, and also take part in regional training exercises as schedules allow.
At the January 29 graduation, Jeff Kaczor, from NY Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services, said there are only a few CERT teams in NY.
“This team will be an asset when our first responders are tasked to the max,” he said.