Following a disaster like a hurricane, first responders and emergency management officials have their hands full, and while many people might like to offer their help by volunteering, untrained volunteers can often be less than helpful, and sometimes even just get in the way. Community Emergency Response Teams, or CERTS, have been around since the early 90s. They provide a standardized training process that prepares volunteers to respond safely, responsibly, and effectively to emergency situations.
We’re joined by Ruth Rodrigues, Director of Emergency Management at Florida Gulf Coast University; Austin Brown, an FGCU student who is currently serving as the FGCU CERT President; and Ellen Pinder, Mitigation Planner and CERT Coordinator at Charlotte County Emergency Management.