Report of the Community Emergency Response Team 2008

The Community Emergency Response Team under HomeLand Security - Citizen Corps is sponsored by the Southwick Emergency Management Agency and the Local Emergency Planning Committee. The mission is to support a community emergency response team with trained volunteers to aid in shelter operations, emergency communications and provide assistance to public safety during major emergencies and large public events in Southwick.
 

Members:

Charles Dunlap, Coordinator

Charles Housner, Assist. Coordinator

Joan Boissonnault

Eric Carroll

Pauline Dunlap

Mary Grasso

David Houle

Peter F. Jakobowski, Jr.

John Long

Robert Miller

Howard Pohlman
 

CERT members were used during the January 26th Westfield Childrens’ Museum Penguin Plunge fund raiser, parking and traffic for the primary and national elections, the Southwick route of the Westfield Road Race, August National Moto-Cross, Halloween Eve / Halloween Night Regional School District anti-vandalism detail. Assistance to Emergency Management was given during four severe weather  EOC activations and during  two evening Powder Mill Middle School open house presentations. Members helped host LEPC HazMat planning meetings held in the Emergency Operations Center and with EOC orientation tours. Five members assisted with the Vermont Yankee Nuclear training exercise at the Greenfield Community College evacuation reception center, participated in the multi-community Disaster Communications Exercise in June and for the Firemen’s Carnival Fire Works and Parade. Traffic control and crowd safety was provided for two road closures due to trees and wires down. Assistance was given to the American Red Cross Southwick Town Offices shelter during the December State-wide Ice Storm Declaration of Emergency. CERT Members participated in a state-wide simulated Hurricane exercise and D.O.T. hazmat transportation accident response training.
 

Members are trained in Incident Command System, Haz-Mat awareness, severe weather reporting, National Incident Management System, radio communications, and CPR / First Aid and with additional training by the Federal and State Emergency Management Agencies and Home-Land Security. Pipeline haz-mat emergency response was also included in yearly training.
 

Volunteer information is available at Emergency Services and by calling the Southwick Emergency Management Agency at 569-0308.
 

Respectfully submitted,
 

Charles Dunlap, CERT Coordinator