Paulding County EMA Gains 10 New Volunteers in CERT Program

Dallas – Recently the Paulding County Emergency Management Agency held its eighth Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Course with 10 new members successfully completing the application and training requirements to earn a position on the team.  

Training included classroom study and hands on practical exercises in the following topics: disaster preparedness, CERT organization, disaster psychology, light search and rescue, fire safety and utility controls, terrorism, and disaster medical operations. These blocks of instruction were delivered on weekday evenings throughout the month of October at the Paulding County Emergency Operations Center.

Graduates of the CERT Basic Training Course include: Avery Kidd, Benjamin Nelms, Brent Laird, Diane Carter, Kimberly Demere, La’Shay Painter, Robert Herndon, Ryan Mach, Sarah Stephens, and William Hew.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security promote the CERT Programs nationally as part of the Presidents Citizen Corps. FEMA supports CERT through grant funding and sponsoring train the trainer and program manager courses for members of the fire, medical, and emergency management community.

Paulding County EMA started its CERT Program in 2016 to assist with shelter management operations, search and rescue of missing persons, Skywarn storm spotter participation, and disaster recovery operations for incidents such as tornadoes or flooding. CERT Volunteers also assist with first aid, information, lost/found property, suspicious activity monitoring, and general safety at community events such as parades, festivals, and fireworks events.