EASTHAMPTON — When the city’s first responders are dispatched to emergencies like a house fire or they need additional assistance in locating a missing person, there’s often another crew that donates their time and energy at a moment’s notice: the Community Emergency Response Team.
Founded in March 2004, the city’s Community Emergency Response Team, also known as the CERT, is a crew of volunteers that has been trained to support first responders by organizing themselves at the site of a disaster and offering immediate assistance to victims.
CERT, which has responded to hundreds of incidents in the city and around the Valley, is currently looking for new members.
The impact of the team was deemed so vital that Easthampton Fire Chief Christopher Norris added the CERT to the department’s run card, or list of task forces that a department needs when responding to an emergency.
“They’re a critical resource and such an asset for recovery on incidents,” Norris said. “This team has such a value in our community.”
Most recently, the team assisted firefighters and police officers at the Dec. 11 fire at Ed’s Auto Body & Repair at 24 Mechanic St. For the Fire Department, members of the team rolled up hand lines and helped to stow large diameter hoses, Norris said. The team also helped secure a safety perimeter along the Manhan Rail Trail.
The team also helps out at larger structure fires by changing and filling air bottles as well as assisting in medical monitoring and fire ground rehab, Norris added.
When the Police Department needs extra help to block roads and control traffic, CERT members are often requested.
CERT members have staged emergency operations centers, run emergency shelters set up by the American Red Cross during weather-related events, and was requested by the state fire marshal in assisting with fire ground rehab during the Northampton arson spree in 2009.
One of the larger events that the team has provided assistance to was the June 1, 2011 tornado, which carved a path of destruction from Springfield to Southbridge. For their part, team members provided assistance to police officers and firefighters in Monson. The Easthampton CERT was split into small groups and assigned certain streets that sustained significant damage and spoke to residents to see if there was anything they needed as the town had no power or communications, according to CERT Commander Stephen McGrath.
“We went door to door with a list to find out if anyone was injured, missing, and/or needed assistance,” McGrath recalled.
McGrath, who retired last year as a captain from the Westhampton Fire Department after 15 years, joined CERT shortly after the team was established after reading an article in the newspaper that Easthampton Fire was seeking members. Today, there are about a dozen CERT members and Norris said he’d like to more than double the number of volunteers.
The Easthampton CERT is one of more than 160 such groups registered in the state, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, which the team is sanctioned under. The concept of the volunteer training and organizing approach was first launched by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985.
To become a member of the Easthampton team, members receive training on disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking an active role in emergency preparedness projects.
Using training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT volunteers can assist others in their community following a disaster when professional responders are not immediately available to help, said Easthampton Police Det. Michael Briggs.
“They’re great people offering their time and energy, and certainly investing their time and getting training for the benefit of the entire community,” he said.
In addition to large emergencies, the team also provides assistance at community events like the Memorial Day parade, Rag Shag parade, and Whobilation. Over the years, McGrath has helped to train between 50 and 60 people on the team. His participation on the team has provided him with a sense of camaraderie, he said.
“You get to meet a lot of people, from mechanics, locksmiths, and medical personnel, to an oil burner technician and a pilot. You train together and get put in situations where you would talk to and see people you normally wouldn’t,” he said.
Through specialized training over the years, McGrath says he’s acquired a lot of knowledge in training, chainsaw safety and most importantly: what not to do during an emergency.
To be eligible for the CERT, new members must be over the age of 18 and pass a Criminal Offender Record Information check. New member training sessions will begin in January. For those interested in joining, email easthamptoncert@gmail.com.
