The Community Emergency Response Team Motto rings through every chapter of the organization. Here in Camden County, we take these words to heart when we set out to fulfill our mission.
Our group is called to help with debris removal after severe storms (including small tornadoes), provide traffic control and support for numerous events during the summer season, and fulfill training requirements to keep us aware and safe using the federally adopted National Incident Management System (NIMS).
Our first goal in any situation is to ensure the safety of our members. Through the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and training in small fire suppression, medical triage, and search and rescue, we strive to make sure each volunteer with our group conducts themselves in a manner that will keep them safe as they complete the jobs or tasks for which they are needed.
Our next goal is to provide support to our first responders. We ARE NOT first responders. We wait to be activated by the Camden County Emergency Management Agency after they have received a request directly from one of our partner agencies, including fire departments, police departments, other government agencies, and more. After our group is called in, we will have a briefing (this may be abbreviated or extensive, depending on the situation) and then be assigned to smaller teams with specific instructions and/or goals.
Our final goal is to assist with events. We often serve as traffic control for events such as the Bridge and Dam Marathon, Magic Dragon Car Show, Lake Expo, Dogwood Festival, and more. Often we do additional things like providing support in the form of driving courtesy carts, assisting with parking, serving refreshments, and anything else we are asked to do.
