Citizen Emergency Response Team
WESTFIELD—A new program is starting in the city that will provide youths with an opportunity to gain critical training, as well as provide pathways for possible careers.
The program, called the Citizen Emergency Response Team, or Teen CERT, is a program that is being brought to Westfield by the Greater Westfield and Western Hampden County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) and the Greater Westfield Citizen Emergency Response Team. The program is designed to prepare students from grades 8 to 12 in emergency preparedness and response, and provide training and certification in the emergency field and is tentatively scheduled to begin in July.
“We want to teach 8th to 12th graders volunteerism and give them strong feelings of self-worth, and how to look now to really see and start learning about what they want to do,” Ed Mello, organizer for the program, said.
The program, which will be free to students, will build a foundation for students through first responder and CERT training, which includes crowd management, small fire management, hazard mitigation planning, debris clearance and how to assist with a number of state and local departments and agencies during a disaster. This education will come with experience using specialized and state-of-the-art equipment, Mello said.
From there, students can choose to pursue additional training through the program that can help them gain additional certifications and experiences. Some options include getting an EMT-Basic license, which Mello taught at Westfield State University for many years, learning about animal care in emergencies or even culinary skills.
“You start as a CERT team member and first responder, then you choose what you want to do from there,” Mello said. “It’s an opening to all sorts of decent jobs in the city.”
In addition, Mello said that he would be working with members from local police and fire departments and medical professionals to help teach the students about the roles that each group plays in disaster management and mitigation.
Mello said that the program is free to students because it is completely volunteer-based, and a grant is also being pursued through FEMA to try and offset any additional costs. If you are interested in joining the program, either as a student or as a volunteer, email Mello at [email protected] and give him your name and contact information.
