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Community Emergency Response Team volunteer Jeanne Gibbs, of Trumbull, presents as a patient with symptoms of anthrax exposure at a multiple town drill for the mass dispersing of medication in response to an anthrax incident at Trumbull High School in Trumbull, Conn. on Tuesday, June 25, 2019. The drill, featuring Medical Reserve Corps volunteers from Trumbull, Stratford, and Monroe, simulated the dispensing of antibiotics in response to an anthrax incident on a Metro North train.
Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media
Trumbull is seeking a few good men and women interested in helping out in the community during emergency situations, according to First Selectman Vicki Tesoro.
“We are asking Trumbull citizens to step up and use their skills to help their community,” Tesoro said.
The town is holding a Community Emergency Response Team basic training program starting March 4. The three-day program will teach volunteers to prepare for and survive natural and man-made disasters, Tesoro said.
“These skills build your individual resiliency during a hazardous event, allowing you to protect and train your family, and ultimately to assist your neighbors,” Tesoro said.
A national program overseen by FEMA, Trumbull’s CERT will operated as a team under the supervision of Emergency Management Director Meghan Murphy. Volunteers will be called out to assist with natural disasters and town events in Trumbull, and sometimes the surrounding area. Volunteers will always be fully briefed and directed to perform specific duties, Tesoro said.
The training program will begin Wednesday March 4 and will continue the following Sunday March 8 and finish on Saturday March 14. Those who complete the program will receive a certificate authorizing them to participate in CERT activities. In addition to basic CERT training, volunteers also will be trained in basic shelter operations, including animal sheltering.
Although all volunteers will be trained to perform all CERT tasks, Murphy said she wanted the program to be rewarding and fun for volunteers.
“The goal is to find what your strength is and to put you in a position that you will excel in and enjoy performing,” she wrote on the CERT website.
Residents interested in volunteering should email mmurphy@trumbull-ct.gov. Make sure to include registration information - name, cell phone, home phone and address in the email.