Recruits sought to join Kerr County CERT team

Kerr County officials are currently seeking new recruits who may be interested in joining the ranks of the Kerr County Emergency Response Team.  “What we need are folks who can keep a cool head in an emergency situation, who never hesitate to jump into action when needed, and who want to be trained, ready, and able to help their neighbors when there is a real need,” said Kerr County Emergency Management Coordinator Dub Thomas.

CERT will be hosting a recruitment event in early February, ahead of its mandatory basic training class scheduled for the weekend of February 23-25.  The recruitment informational event will start at 9 a.m. on February 10 in the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office Training Room.  “We need a few people who are willing to step up and lend a hand to citizens in a variety of ways when it absolutely matters the most,” said Thomas.

A requirement to be on the squad is completion of the basic training weekend, which covers topics such as disaster preparedness, fire safety and utility controls, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operations, CERT organization, disaster psychology, terrorism and more.  A significant portion of any response and recovery is done by volunteers who are willing to do what’s needed.

Kerr County CERT meets the second Thursday of each month at the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, 400 Clearwater Paseo in Kerrville.  Applications to be a CERT squad member are available at www.co.kerr.tx.us/sheriff/cert/apps.html, or call (830) 315-2430 during regular business hours.