The Community Emergency Response Team Program, or CERT, trains volunteers to assist their community with disaster relief. Grand Rapids has offered free CERT training since the fall of 2023 as a nationwide FEMA program, with CERT teams in all 50 states.
“We are up to about 95 active CERT volunteers since fall of 2023.”
Ingrid Scheer is an Emergency Management Specialist. She says all three of this year’s spring CERT Level 1 classes filled all 75 available seats and there is currently a waiting list for future classes.
“Then they move on to Level 2 if they’re interested, and that’s where they can become a CERT volunteer. So, a CERT volunteer for the city of Grand Rapids means that they could be called upon if an incident arise.”
So far, CERT has only been activated once in March 2024 for a water distribution event, but city officials like Mayor David LaGrand, would like to see the development of safety measures for future air quality emergencies due to wildfire smoke.
“When you have it happen once, you’re like, ‘That’s never happened in my life.’ Well then, a couple years later, it happens again and it’s worse, you’re like, ‘Alright, if this is the new normal, this probably isn’t going to be the last forest fire in northern Canada that’s going to impact Grand Rapids.’”
Emergency management officials say this type of air quality event will be incorporated into their plans moving forward.
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