Greetings, all!
Sam here!
We had a great meeting last night! It was almost a perfect split of existing CERT members and prospective CERT members. Thank you to Ranita, Bill, John, Paulette, Paul, Jerry, Joan, Alex, Cheryl, Dale, Mimi, Bob, and Margo for taking the time to attend!
We had a round of introductions and then we discussed the CERT program’s plans moving forward. We have increased the types of training we are offering (see our Calendar page for more info), changed up the responsibilities for CERT when taking part in events around the county (i.e. LESS traffic control!), and we are working hard to bring in donations/sponsorship at the leadership level, so the rest of the CERT members don’t feel the need or pressure to “fundraise”, you can just focus on helping the citizens of our great county and having fun!
That brings us to a tremendous donation to the CERT program this month. The Camden County CERT would like to thank the Camden County Health Department for donating a plethora of medical supplies to our program for our members’ CERT packs and for two medical bags which will be carried on our CERT trailers. The CCHD came through with nitrile gloves (medium and large!), alcohol wipes, Steri-Strips, bandaids (various types and sizes), 4″x4″ gauze pads, eye pads, Coban wraps, medical tape, and triangular slings!
As many of you know, the National CERT Conference 202One is almost here! This is an effort which many people have poured their hearts into for two years (thanks to the pandemic delaying it from being held in 2020) and they are FINALLY going to enjoy the fruits of their labor. This conference brings the opportunity for two Camden County CERT members (Ranita and Renee) to attend a “Train-the-Trainer” course to add two more CERT Trainers to the Camden County roster! We appreciate the extra effort they put forth to go above and beyond the regular call of duty! We have an opportunity for any of our CERT members who would like to come down and help anytime between 8 am and 6 pm on any day between Monday, July 12 and Saturday, July 17 to give all of these great people a hand. If you are interested and wish to volunteer or would like more information, please contact me at 573-569-3673 ASAP, as we are writing the schedule now.
Overlapping the end of the National CERT Conference 202One on July 17th is the Aquapalooza event at Captain Ron’s in Sunrise Beach. This event takes place from Noon to 5 pm. CERT is responsible for running the First Aid tent for the event to ease the load on EMS who will be staged nearby. This is a huge help to EMS, as CERT members will be providing bandaids for minor scrapes and cuts, which will free up EMS to handle more serious injuries which may occur during the event. Please contact me at 573-569-3673 if you would be interested in assisting with this event.
With the departure of CERT Coordinator Tim George to Kansas, the Camden County CERT is once again looking for a dynamic individual to take the reins of the program. We are also seeking section chiefs to provide support, knowledge, and guidance to our team. If you are interested in more information on these positions, let us know!
If you were unable to attend the meeting and would like your pack updated, please come by the Camden County EMA during regular business hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday-Friday) and either drop your pack off or plan to stay for a bit to receive the new medical supplies/equipment.
Stay tuned for photos and blog posts from the National CERT Conference 202One and our upcoming FREE CERT Basic Training Classes!