CERT Volunteers in Action

Many people would think twice about waking up at 4:00 AM to volunteer but the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in Brookline, MA never hesitated as their volunteers swiftly moved into action in those wee hours of the morning providing shelter, clothes, food and other important services to local residents who just survived a devastating fire. Throughout the morning, CERT volunteers worked with the American Red Cross to ensure affected residents had somewhere to stay in the coming days and for those who could return to their apartment to collect belongings, CERT volunteers transported them back and forth between their homes and a safe shelter.

The work of these volunteers allowed police officers and fire crew to focus on extinguishing the fire and determining its cause, all the while knowing displaced residents were being well cared for. Brookline Police Officer Casey Hatchett who heads up the Brookline CERT program praised this team of volunteers saying, “They are a great group of people who at 4:00 in the morning got up in the cold to help others out of the kindness of their hearts.”

To learn more about becoming a starting a CERT program in your area or becoming a CERT volunteer, visit the National CERT website.