C.E.R.T. - Community Emergency Response Team

CERT Logo

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Manchester CERT program is to respond as a team to assist local responders, the community, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) such as American Red Cross and/or federal agencies in local and regional emergency incidents or public service events.

CERT teams are designed to support both the first responders and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) support functions.

Phone: 860-647-5259

CERT Missions:

To provide Manchester residents and first responders with a quality resource that is dedicated, trained and equipped to carry out special missions such as:

  1. EOC support functions; registration, documentation support, communications, runners and logistics support
  2. Mountain Bike Search and Rescue Team (MBSAR)
  3. Connecticut Canine Search and Rescue Team (CCSAR)
  4. Amateur (ham) radio communication, both voice and data (EmComm)
  5. Fire-Police response
  6. Emergency shelter operations
  7. Any other function ordered by the Town’s Emergency Manager or Town General Manager or their designees

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

The Manchester C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) is looking for new members.

What is CERT? It's a team of over 100 volunteers trained to help the Town in case of an emergency when all other responders are either tied up or unable to respond. The team is comprised of 5 major sub teams, Communications Team (ham radio operators), Shelter Management Team (operates the emergency shelters in Town), the EOC (Emergency Operations Center) Support Team, the Search and Rescue Team (goes out on Case Mountain to help find lost or hurt persons on Case Mountain) and Fire/Police, who assist the Police and Fire departments at accident scenes and other emergency scenes by controlling traffic and making the area safe for the responders to operate. Also, the team learns how to take care of their family and neighbors during a weather related emergency.

What do I have to do to become a team member? It's easy; just register for the training class. The class goes for 8 Thursday nights from 6:30 PM to about 9:30 PM each night, of the spring and fall sessions. If you are interested in taking the class or want more information, please contact Donald Janelle (team coordinator) at 860-647-5259 anytime during business hours. If no one answers, please leave a message and your call will be returned as quickly as possible.

Manchester CERT team in action

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Red Cross Shelter Training

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Search Manager Pete V.

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Navigator, Andy Z and Communicator Rich C ready to deploy at search. R.I.P. Andy

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Canine team getting ready to deploy

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Going over the TOPO map prior to a seach

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Team briefing at West Hartford Reservoir Search

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Base NET Control in action

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Programming a GPS

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Canine Team at MFRE's 9-1-1 Memorial

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Team st search briefing in Dartmouth Ma.

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Night time search - it isn't as easy when you can't see anything

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Manchester CERT's first vehicle?

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Basic first aid training

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fire extinguisher training

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Organizational Chart

Org-Chart team 2014

Emergency Communications (EMCOMM)

Emergencies happen all the time, major emergencies happen less frequently. When a major emergency does occur, it is imperative that all responding agencies can communicate with each other. This is accomplished with the Town's radio system. The Town can communicate with its neighboring towns, the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), the State Emergency Operations Center as well as other agencies. However, what would happen if the radio systems failed?

We have a back-up system in place in the Town of Manchester. It is called METNet (or, EMCOMM), which stands for Manchester Emergency Telecommunications Network. This system is a great asset to the Town (not many towns in CT. have an EMCOMM team). METNet is staffed during an emergency by an all-volunteer group of amateur radio operators, or hams. Ham radio operators are experts in the field of radio communications.

The METNet team meets on a monthly basis (mainly on the 4th Wednesday of each month). They also practice their skills every Tuesday and Thursday night, using a radio check-in system. This enables the Team to test various methods of communication, as well as keeping their radio skills sharp.

The METNet team activates whenever their specialized skills are needed in the Town, such as; a lost hiker on Case Mountain, the Thanksgiving Day Road Race, Cruisin' on Main, or during an activation of Manchester's Emergency Operations Center.

If you are interested in becoming a member of this Team and are already a licensed Ham Operator, contact Manchester Emergency Management at 860-647-5259 or by email at Djanelle@manchesterct.gov. If you are not a licensed Ham, but are interested in getting your license and joining our Team, please contact us by using the same contact information above.

Certification classes are run at different times throughout the year. The classes usually run 5 or 6 weeks, one night a week. There is no cost for the course, textbook or the examination - all we ask is a one-year commitment to the Team. This is a great opportunity to learn about the exciting field of amateur radio and be able to help your neighbors during a time of emergency. For more information on this subject, contact the Emergency Management Office 860-647-5259 or by email at Djanelle@manchesterct.gov. 

Contact Us

Phone

860-647-5259

Email

djanelle@manchesterct.gov
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