Columbia County now has a total of 318 citizens who are certified to help their neighbors in the event of an emergency or disaster.   

 

CERT training started in Columbia County in January 2004 with citizens from all over Columbia County volunteering their time to learn emergency response skills that make our community safer. 

The CERT program includes training in disaster preparedness, fire suppression, disaster medical operations (such as triage, treating life threatening injuries, assessment, treatment and hygiene), light urban search and rescue, team organization, disaster psychology and a disaster simulation exercise.

Seasoned instructors from the Emergency Management Agency, Martinez-Columbia Fire Rescue, Gold Cross EMS, Grovetown Department of Public Safety, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Augusta Chapter of the American Red Cross volunteer their time to conduct the training.

When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, (who can easily become overwhelmed in major events), provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site.   CERT members are also called upon to assist other counties and states during major disasters.

 

CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community, such as making public presentations, assisting with public safety awareness events, and assisting with community disaster exercises.

 

The CERT training program is provided to Columbia County citizens who are 18 years or older at no cost. This program is 100% funded by Homeland Security Grant funds.

 

Refresher training for CERT graduates from Groups 1 thru 12 will be held on November 9, 2010 from 6 pm until 9 pm and November 13, 2010 from 9 am until 12 pm at the EOC.

 

Click here to view the 2010 CERT Training Schedule

 

 

HOW CERT MEMBERS MADE A DIFFERENCE IN 2005

 

During 2005, Columbia County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members participated in several major projects. Below is a brief description of how their "willingness to serve" is helping our community.

 

• Fifty-five (55) CERT graduates volunteered to participate in the Full Scale Transportation Haz-Mat Exercise conducted on July 28, 2005.They filled three critical roles by serving as victims, operating the Mobile Operations Center (MOC), and practicing the skills they learned in training as responders to help manage the evacuation of a school.
• Twenty-nine (29) CERT graduates volunteered to participate in the local production of a new CERT Training Video that will be used nationwide to train new CERT members. The video required members to demonstrate all of the roles that CERT would fill in a disaster, including emergency preparedness at their homes, fire safety, emergency medical operations, search and rescue, disaster psychology and operating the Mobile Operations Center (MOC).
• Six (6) CERT graduates quickly offered to help to assist the Forestry Services office with what was anticipated to be a flood of calls from citizens requesting burn permits the end of the open burning ban. There are only a few staff members at the office on a daily basis, and they could be called out to a fire, so this assistance is invaluable for our citizens.
• Individual CERT members provide presentations to community groups, assist with safety day events, and volunteer in many other ways all during the year.

Thirteen (13) CERT graduates volunteered to deploy to Gulfport, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina left the area in shambles. They left on Friday, September 9th at 8:00 a.m. to assist the State of Mississippi in Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts. The team was deployed through GEMA and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) to serve in the capacity of a “Community Relations Team” to work with getting supplies to victims in one of the hardest hit areas...Gulfport, Mississippi. This was the only CERT team in the nation to assist with this disaster.

 

  

 

 

Standing from left: John tucker, Margaret Williams, Jan DeAsis, Susan Hayden, Stephanie McWhorter, Joe Matosian, Ed Campbell, and KauVonda Amos (Mississippi EMA CERT Program Manager)

Kneeling from left: John Harlan, Gwen Wood, Lorraine Lynch, Jill Harpe, Bob Crutchfield, and Kathryn Crutchfield

 CURRENT CERTIFIED CERT MEMBERS

**Steve Aaronson Ben Adkins Susy Allen Margaret Alligood ~Cynthia Ammar ~Max Ammar Andy Anderson Brian Armstrong Dan Armstrong #*Elissa Armstrong Angela Banez Maritess Banez *Mario Banez Robin Banta ~Don Beasley ~Loma Beasley Dan Beckman John Allen Beckman Mark Beckman Paula Beckman Wanda Bell *Rich Belles *Virginia Berkhimer Maria Bezubic Shena Binns Wesley Black Lyn Bonner #*Laurie Booher #~*Sam Booher Drew Botkin #**Debra Bozeman *Todd Brandenburg Todd Brantley ~*Andrew "Drew" Brejda David Brill Clint Brotemarkle *Charlie Brown (In Loving Memory) *Felicia Brown Felicia Brown Johnny Brown Kent Bruntz Betty Bugg Matthew Bugg Helen Burton ~Edward Campbell #Brad Cansler Penny Carpentar ~*Ramon Carroll *William P. Caskey **Bob Cipperly Jason Claar Gene Clark Sylvia Clark #Aretha Clayton Richard Clegg Dennis Cokenour *Anthony Colbert **David Coley Jasper Cooke Cynthia Cooper Eric Crawford #**Kathryn Crutchfield #**Robert Crutchfield Richard Daniel Scott Daniel Judy Davidson Joann Davis Roger Davis Judy Daviscokenour *Jan DeAsis Royal DeAsis Roy DeBolt ~Mary Desormeaux Gina Dickson Todd Dickson John Diefenderfer Kathy Diefenderfer Marie Dill Michele Dillard ~*James Dolce Dick Donnelly Margaret Doss Gregory Dross Tina Dross *Jo Dyke Gloria Eargle Richard Eargle *David Earnest *Cristo Eclavea Chuck Elliott Dick Embry Betty English Mark Erbland Johnny Evans John Fender ~*Bill Ferguson Larry Flanagan Matt Frame Cheryl “Cricket” Frederick Amanda Freeman Wendall Freeman *Charles Frick Linda Fulmer *Cheryl Garcia Richard Garniewicz

*Clarence Gavitt John Geeter Cindy Gilbert Delores Gillis Ron Goldberg Rebekah Gray-Henderson Troy Green *James Greene *Marla Greene Carolyn Grey Caroline Guay David Guay Jospeh Guay *Ravinder Gujral Tom Gunnels #Peter Gustin Diana Hamilton Kip Hamilton ~*John Harlan John Harlan, Jr. Jill Harpe Lori Harrell George Harrison #**Susan Hayden Richard Haygood Reid Henderson Kitty Hernlen Karen Hickman Earl Hilson **John Holden Bette Holzberg Gene Homschek Sheila Homschek Gail Hoover Donald Horton Andy Howell Barbara Howell Suzie Hughes Ziad Husein *Tom Hyer #*Pete Igel Evette Ingwersen #~David Iverson Curtis James **David Jewell **Donna Jewell ~Tammy John Krista Johnson Troy Johnson Brandy Jones #~Carrie Jones Kendall Jones David Jones *Dennis E. Jones Glorious Jones #Jerry Jones *Rip Jones **Thomas Kane Robyn Kelley Gretchen Keneson William Keneson *Michael Kennedy Margaret Kim David Koch Jose Lantingua *Tara LeMay Mike Lemaire Andrew Lines Angela Lowe Lani Luciano Jose’ Lugo *Dorothy Luke *Lorraine Lynch Kenric Lynn *Stan Maciaszek #*Michael Maloney *Sherry Martin Valerie Martin *Douglas Massey ~Joseph Matosian Janice Matthews Daniel Mayne Robert McCorkell Jennifer McCracken ~Rick McDonald Clifford McGhee Georgia McKain Jean McKain Alan McKenney Ben McWhorter Scott McWhorter Stephanie McWhorter Eric Meaders #**James M. Mecredy #**Lucette Mecredy Martin Meinshausen Jenna Miller Travis Miller Iris Miranda #John W. Morgan Pete Mourfield **David Muntz James Murray **Jim Murray Martin Murray *John Murrell Tim Nelken

Dana Nelms Laurie Nerling Dennis Niehoff *Ann Nordin **Calvin Norris **Tonji Norris Doug Nunley Daniel O'Brien Michael O’Byrne ~*George O'Connell Vincent Pacchiana Betty Palmer Robert Payne Ryan “Mike” Peel Francisco Perez #Tony Perrotto *George Perry Bill Pettyjohn *Tom Phair Christopher Pierson Stephanie Pilcher Jerry Pitman *Chester Plecha Cherie Portinga Nathan Portinga Darlene Pressley Vicki Proefrock Henry Pruett Lauren Rabb Emory Rabitsch William Ragnow Anthony Rakofsky Shelley Redd Kimberly Richard Bob Richards Kathy Riley Bruce Robinson Donald Robinson Mel Rosabal Christa Royal Shelly Rucker Zaki Rucker *Richard Runnels ~Mark Salter Gwenda Sanderson Daniel Sankey Bobbie Sue Schiffhauer Lee Schiffhauer David Schwartzkopf Steve Shelt #~*David Silver #~Mollie Silver Leonard Simmons Hugo Sinclair Dawn Sindelair Scott Smith Brett Smith Joel Smith #*John T.Y. Smith *Patricia Smith *Stephen J. Smith Tanya Smith Nancy Snyder Cheryl Spindler Todd Spindler Dave Stewart Andrea Stevens Matt Stevens Rachel Stith Joan Stoddard John Sweat Jackie Tatum Randall Tatum Julie Terwilliger #~**Ira Tindall Jorge Thompson Kenneth Turner Miran Tyrrell Shari Tyson *Janet Vaughn Raam Vichare Eden Vickrey Basil Vintinner ~**Bob Waldera Troy Ward Jeffrey A. Ward Wesley Wehunt *Roland Weisser Thomas Weisz Earl Welsh Kristina Wendorf ~**Margaret Willliams Shannon Williams ~*Teri Williams #*Aleta Williamson #*Jim Williamson Katherine Williford YeSun Wiltse *Mike Wiltse William Wingfield Marcie Wingo Douglas Wood *Gwen Wood ~Eddie Writer ~Kim Writer Michelle Zupan

 

 

 

*Completed the Refresher Training in October 2006.
**Completed the Refresher Training in October 2006 and November 2007.
~Completed the Refresher Training in November 2008.
#Completed the Refresher Training in November 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROUP 1	GROUP 2
GROUP 3	GROUP 4
GROUP 5	GROUP 6
GROUP 7	GROUP 8
GROUP 9	GROUP 10
GROUP 11	GROUP 12
GROUP 13	GROUP 14
GROUP 15