County CERT team anticipates the next class

Although Capt. Doug Hunter is retired from the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, his desire to keep citizens safe is working overtime.

Before his July 2023 retirement, Hunter agreed to establish a Citizens Emergency Response Team to help first responders during a crisis. Now that it is running, he seeks individuals to join the all-volunteer corps.

Speaking to the Wooster Rotarians at a recent weekly meeting, Hunter urged people to get involved and take advantage of the free training because anyone at anytime could be the first person to arrive at an emergency.

“Private companies can send safety officers to participate in this program,” Hunter said. “During our inaugural class, a representative from Green Fox Plastics attended. He is now certified and can take this knowledge back to the company. He is prepared in case there is ever an emergency.”

Hunter said people are under no obligation once the training is complete. While there is no obligation, those so inclined may volunteer to help first-response teams during parades, races, festivals and other significant events.

“This isn’t just a local thing. CERT is a nationally recognized program that began in the 1980s to prepare individuals to respond in emergencies,” Hunter said. “I’m not talking about doing the work of paramedics, firemen or law-enforcement officers. CERT members will not enter a burning building or drive a police car. This class is about being prepared if you are in an emergency and become the first responder. It is about having additional training to feel comfortable knowing what to do until first responders arrive.”

Hunter said CERT personnel complete 12 hours of online training and, depending on the size of the class, 16 hours of hands-on training to become certified. Training is tailored for the types of emergency incidents most likely to occur in Wayne County.

“You are not very likely to have a tsunami here,” Hunter said. “So there is no training for that. However, we will likely have flooding, fires and tornadoes, so we tailor the training to those disasters.”

CERT volunteers contribute to a community’s social fabric by fostering unity, compassion and mutual support among its members. They provide essential services that might otherwise be lacking. Moreover, volunteers inspire others to get involved.

Anyone interested may take the online portion of the training and attend the next hands-on class when there is sufficient interest. There is no cost for the certification. Email Hunter at cert@wcsohio.org for more information.

Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.