A half-dozen members of a new emergency response team were sworn in Tuesday in Ansonia.
Members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), they’ve been trained to assist in operating a shelter during a major emergency as well as supporting emergency responders in various roles.
“These are civilians that we’re able to employ in times of emergencies, such as some of the recent storms that we’ve had,” Board of Aldermen President Gene Sharkey said Tuesday.
The six members were sworn in by Town and City Clerk Madeline H. Bottone at the beginning of the Board of Aldermen’s meeting, after which they received a standing ovation from officials and those gathered in the audience.
Pictured, clockwise from upper left, are Joseph Pagan, Kevin Henri, Michelle Weymer, Henry Pauley, Jasmine Hernandez and Brittney Bell.
“Thank you for your commitment,” Sharkey said.
Alderman Scott Nihill, who chairs the Ansonia Rescue Medical Services Commission, also commended the CERT trainees.
“It’s tough getting volunteers for anything,” he said. “God forbid we get an emergency or a storm of any sort it’s another resource available to help out citizens.”
The Community Emergency Response Team is a program of the Citizen Corps, a nationwide program supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
The purpose of CERT and the Citizen Corps is to train community members in emergency preparedness to support local emergency responders as volunteers with disaster relief and community safety. The Ansonia Citizen Corps will work with the City of Ansonia’s Office of Emergency Management.
David Geloso, assistant chief of Ansonia Rescue Medical Services, said the next class for CERT training will be offered this fall.
The program is open to anyone 14 years old or older and the training is free.
