Emergency Volunteers Sought

East Hampton is looking for a “few good people” to get more involved when emergencies happen. The recent storms in Connecticut and related loss of power in our community left many of us wondering what we could have done to help out our neighbors. Now we have an opportunity to prepare so that we will be ready to help the next time.

Rich Klotzbier, East Hampton’s Emergency Management Director, is looking for volunteers to form a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Informational meetings to explain the workings of a CERT will be held at the East Hampton Volunteer Ambulance Association Building at 4 Middletown Ave. (Route 16) on Tuesday April 10, and on Monday, April 16, at 7 p.m. Interested volunteers need only attend one of these meetings. Advance registration is encouraged but not necessary.

CERT volunteers are trained to provide local, immediate support to emergency responders during a disaster. They can perform duties such as shelter support, crowd control, and assistance in evacuations. They also help year-round with preparedness outreach, drills, and fire safety education.

CERT response was a critical piece of the Kleen Energy Plant Explosion as well as the Manchester shooting incident. There are currently active CERT teams in several nearby towns, including East Haddam, Portland and Middletown.

Additional information about the CERT program can be found at http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert.

If you have questions about the CERT program or wish to register for one of the informational meetings, please call or email Rich Klotzbier at 860-267-0088 or firemarshal@easthamptonct.org. If you are interested in the program but are unable to attend one of the information meetings, please leave a message with your contact information.