CERT prepping a new team of volunteer emergency responders
BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Volunteers play a crucial role in aiding first responders during emergency events. And on Monday, a new group of residents geared up to join the Bay County community emergency response or CERT team.
The free training course began earlier Monday evening at the Bay County Center of Operations. Participants in the course learn responsibilities like first aid, CPR, assessing fire risks, preparing for disasters, mitigation, and lots more.
While Monday was just day one, those in attendance gained a solid understanding of how they can contribute to a community's overall resilience after tragedy strikes.
Having CERT volunteers boots on the ground frees up boots on the ground for other first responders.
No department wants to be spread too thin in the face of a disaster, and Bay County is no stranger to disasters or the contributions of CERT members.
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'We've done several things with the cold weather we had back with the snow, we helped run the warming center. We also had Rivercamps where they had the water contamination. We went out and handed out water and showers and things of that nature. So it's giving back to the community and showing them that there's somebody out there that can help them out,' CERT Coordinator Chris Tucker said.
Tucker said he's excited to build the CERT team up with new members, each of whom brings their own unique background and experiences to the table.
Participants will learn a variety of topics in the course before taking their training into the field.
'They will do four days of evening classes. Then we'll go out this coming Saturday, and we'll do what we call a practical solution to some of those skills from first aid to what we call cribbing. If there's somebody stuck under something, to help them get out, fire, put out some used fire extinguishers so they have some fire extinguisher training. So this kind of all comes to an end Saturday morning here. It's a four-hour practical, using the skills that they learned this week in class,' Tucker added.
Tucker said it's all about passing knowledge on and knowing it will go back into the community.
'A lot of it is self-preparedness. So in your homes, how to get ready for storms if they happen and after storms, how to really help yourself and your neighbors is the big part,' Tucker said.
Bay County Fire Rescue Captain Travis Williams educated attendees on the dos and don'ts of aiding in fire response.
And participants got a chance to get more hands on. Everybody should have a disaster preparedness plan, especially with the influx of severe weather in our area.
To check out Bay County's disaster preparedness guide or to learn about upcoming emergency management classes, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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