Newaygo County Community Emergency Response Team and Medical Reserve Corps Program
An organized and efficient response to a large scale emergency depends on the active participation from members of the community. With formal training, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) team members have the knowledge and skills to help save lives and protect property. Team Members are trained to assist local emergency responders in the following areas:
- Search and Rescue
- First Aid Stations
- Traffic Control
- Damage Assessment
- Evacuation
- Emergency Shelter Operations
- Organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site
- General Emergency Management duties
During large community events, the CERT and MRC Teams also help promote emergency preparedness and provide incident safety, traffic control, medical first aid, and communications.
Team Members are routinely involved with the following type of incidents and events
- Multi-agency search and rescue missions
- Flood response missions
- Tornado response missions
- Pandemic response support missions
- Family Health and Safety Expo
- Newaygo County Kids Day
- Household Waste Collection Day
- Gerber Baby Food Festival Kids Day
- Itry4Fun Triathlon
- White Cloud Kids day Community Picnic
- 2DamTuff Eco Challenge
- Tamarac Turkey Trot
- Active Shooter and Hostile Event Response Training
- Amateur Radio Training
- Incident Command Training
- American Heart Association First Aid and CPR Training
Top 10 Reasons to Join the Team:
- Make a difference
- Help people in a time of need
- Learn what to do during an emergency
- Gain valuable training, skills, and experience
- Become part of a bigger family
- Connect with your community
- Build new relationships while having fun
- Strengthen your resume
- Help strengthen community preparedness
- Contribute to a cause that you care about
HOW TO JOIN THE TEAM
Membership Requirements
All persons wishing to volunteer must be at least 16 years of age and have a willingness to help the community.
Application
All persons wishing to join the team must complete a volunteer application. The application is available by contacting the Newaygo County Emergency Services Department or by clicking on the application link at the bottom of this page.
Background Check
All volunteers must pass a background check in accordance with the Region 6 Background Check Policy.
Required Training
All team members are required to complete a CERT 20 hour basic training course and 10 hours of online independent study training through FEMA prior to participating in any emergency responses.
Active Membership
In order to be authorized to respond to an emergency, team members must maintain an active membership status. Active members have completed their required training and regularly participate in team activities including trainings, preparedness booths, community events, and deployments.
