CERT

Carolina Trace has a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) supported by the Carolina Trace Association. CERT is concerned with disaster preparedness, and can also assist with disaster response when county first responders are delayed by overwhelming needs in the aftermath of a disaster. CT CERT is a FEMA program sponsored by and managed in Lee County by the Director of Emergency Services.

CT CERT has assisted the Carolina Trace Association with the development of an Emergency Operations Plan, and conducts joint exercises every few months, both to refine the plan and to familiarize those responsible for executing the plan with the recommended courses of action for the various hazards we are likely to experience. We encourage residents to become involved with CERT, both to help in their own POAs and to assist others should we need to in the aftermath of a disaster.

Lee County CERT also has a group of ham radio operators who are interested in assisting Lee County Emergency Services with communications during emergencies. Training is offered periodically for individuals wishing to get a ham radio license, as well as licensed operators who wish to learn more about emergency communications.

The requirement to join CERT is completion of a 21-hour Basic Course that educates individuals about disaster preparedness for hazards that may affect their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. The Basic Course is taught at the Central Carolina Community College Emergency Services Training Center at no cost to students who are residents of Lee County.

We ask our active members to attend 4 meetings, training sessions or volunteer activities per year. The Lee County CERT program offers continuing training each month from January through November.

More information may be found about CERT at the following links:

In Carolina Trace, contact Penny Turner | 919-498-6285