Exercise drill helps prepare community for possible disasters

By Mark Rosenblum

April 7, 2009 2:32PM CST

St. Charles County, MO - United States of America (Press Release) April 7, 2009 --

Early on the cold, rainy morning of March 28, a small airplane headed for Spirit of St. Louis Airport, was brought down by severe weather in the O’Fallon Sports Park off of Highway K in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Not really, but this was the “real-time” simulated scenario for the annual St. Charles Countywide disaster exercise. Numerous emergency teams, first responders and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members were given the opportunity to practice and refine their emergency procedures. While emergency crews worked through their disaster plan, police cadets, school students and adults learned what the patients go through in these situations by playing the role of the victims.

The exercise, officially named "Operation Road Warrior", tested the county’s CERT, emergency responders and mutual aid providers in stress-filled environment in which personnel, equipment and other resources are deployed and mobilized.

St. Charles County disaster response participants include CERT members from St. Charles City, Cottleville, Dardenne Prairie, O’Fallon, St. Charles County TEEN CERT, St. Peters/Central County, Weldon Spring, and Wentzville. There were participants from other cities including Maryland Heights, Black Jack, Independence, Town & Country, Kirkwood and Eureka.

With more than 200 participants including nearly 60 volunteers playing victims, family members and news media, the county's first ever “real-time” deployment call-out exercise is being considered one of the largest full-scale drills organized among all previous exercises in the St. Louis/St. Charles metropolitan area. More than 20 organizations participated, including the O’Fallon Police and Fire Department; St. Charles County Ambulance District, other municipal fire and law enforcement agencies; Crider Center for Mental Health, St. Charles County Department of Emergency Management, St. Charles County Citizen Corps Council, as well as the regions first TEEN CERT, and other mutual aid organizations.

This exercise was an important educational tool not only for the CERT members for whom the drill was designed but also for the volunteers, victims and observers to see the significant role that local disaster relief agencies and professional first responders play in high stress scenes involving incident command, scene control, victim needs and assessments, logistics coordination, and multi-agency communication.

The CERT program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to major disaster situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site.

For more information http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14345074473

O'Fallon looking for citizen responders

By Elizabeth Perry
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 3:13 AM CST

For the first time, the city of O'Fallon is developing its own Citizen Emergency Response Team.

The team is composed of resident volunteers willing to help the police during crises.

O'Fallon Police Officer Andy Stowers said the class should appeal to anyone who thinks people "need to be able to take care of ourselves."

Seven people have signed up for CERT classes. Stowers said he hopes for 25 participants.

Many other communities in the county have CERT programs, and Stowers said officials who run those programs were resources for him.

"Everybody has helped me," Stowers said. "I couldn't do it without community support."

Shalom Shoaf, the CERT coordinator for the St. Charles Fire Department, was one of those people in the community who provided support.

Shoaf said she and Stowers talked about necessary paperwork and how to gain support for the program.

Shoaf said CERT has been around since the late 1970s, forming after an earthquake in Mexico killed 800 rescuers who were trying to clear a building. The idea is to train volunteers to increase their chances of survival and make them more effective in emergencies, Shoaf said.

Shoaf said her team is utilized more than any other in the county.

"We deploy my CERT team in the city quite a bit," Shoaf said.

Volunteer team members went door to door in St. Charles during an ice storm a couple years ago to see if residents needed help. Shoaf said her team of volunteers has safely evacuated nursing homes.

"We have to be out there ready to help our neighbors," said Phillip Yocum, an evidence officer with the Wentzville Police Department and a CERT organizer.

Stowers said Yocum also advised him.

Yocum said he was impressed by the spirit of volunteerism among his team. There is a waiting list for volunteers who want to take part in Wentzville's CERT program, he said.

Wentzville will also be conducting CERT classes for Wentzville residents Jan. 26 with CERT classes for teenagers starting Feb. 19.

Jim Sease, a volunteer who started Dardenne Prairie's CERT team, said he was glad to help with the formation of O'Fallon's team.

"I am personally excited to see O'Fallon get a program," Sease said.

Sease said the two cities are like a zipper, with O'Fallon families and Dardenne Prairie families interwoven.

Volunteer programs like CERT are important because the federal government is not always available to help right away in emergencies, Sease said.

Sease said CERT is important for another reason.

"There are times when the first responders become the victims themselves," Sease said.

First Community Credit Union donated $580 and Peoples Bank donated $500 to the program in O'Fallon, which does not have government funding yet, Stowers said.

The class has a $25.00 per-person fee to defray the cost of the program, Stowers said.

Stowers said the program is good for anybody interested in disaster services or emergency management.

Residents will learn how to be prepared for a disaster by packing kits containing, food, water and extra medication to keep them going for at least two days.

They'll learn fire safety, first aid, how to safely lift heavy objects and how to help others coping with disaster.

Search and rescue will also be covered in the three-day class.

Participants who take the class will get a backpack full of survival gear and supplies.

If you go:

WHAT: O'Fallon's Citizen Emergency Response Team Course
WHERE: 100 N. Main Street, O'Fallon
WHEN: Feb. 20 - 22
CONTACT: Officer Andy Stowers, 636-379-5686

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.ofallon.mo.us/PO/CERT

More in Maryville involved in addressing emergencies

Village creates volunteer team

By Aaron Sudholt
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 3:01 AM CST

Maryville emergency responders will get extra help the next time the village is hit with a major wind storm, power outage or other emergency.

The Maryville Community Emergency Responders Team will provide 14 certified volunteers who can check on the elderly and answer non-emergency disaster response calls.

"The snow storms from last year were a big factor (in forming the group)," said Dan Wright, a member of CERT who serves on the Maryville Community Improvement Board. "We could have used some people volunteering in the community."

Snow storms that hit the St. Louis area during the 2007-2008 winter made roads treacherous, cut power and sometimes trapped people in their homes. According to the National Weather Service, St. Louis received 20.2 inches of snow that winter.

The snow was a big factor in forming the team, village officials said.

"We didn't have the manpower to make sure the roads were open and then still go door to door to check on some of our residents," said Mayor Larry Gulledge. "Our Fire Department and our Police Department were running in every direction."

The Maryville Community Improvement Board spearheaded the decision to have the CERT team formed. They sought out volunteers and had them trained by members of the Collinsville CERT team.

The team will be under the authority of the Maryville Fire Department and Maryville Police Department and deployed as needed.

"If we have any kind of emergency here, we'll call them out, either to direct traffic or go door to door to check on residents," Gulledge said.

The team was officially activated at the Nov. 5 Village Board meeting.

The CERT team will direct traffic and make sure elderly or ill residents are safe during such emergencies, when the weather can make it especially dangerous for them.

Each member works on a volunteer basis and is not paid for their commitment to the team.

EUREKA: City signs on for CodeRED service

Residents receive severe weather alerts

By Danette Thompson
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:27 AM CDT

In an emergency, when seconds count, Eureka residents now have the option of an earlier warning.

The city recently contracted with CodeRED Emergency Notification System, a high-speed telephone communications system that allows city officials to send a message to residents alerting them to an emergency situation.

Eureka is the first city in St. Louis County to make use of the system.

In Franklin County, Union was the first to contract with CodeRED. Other cities in Franklin County, including Pacific, are looking at similar notification systems.

Eureka police successfully used the system for the first time last week, to notify residents of a potentially threatening storm.

"The system can call up to 50,000 numbers per hour," Police Chief Mike Wiegand said. "It's a great tool for the city and a valuable service to our residents and businesses. We can not only notify people about severe weather incidents such as floods or storms, but any other emergency situation that would require immediate action."

Wiegand said CodeRED could be used in the event of boil-water notices, missing children, evacuations and evacuation routes, fires, floods, bomb threats, hostage situations, hazardous material spills, gas leaks or any other situation that could pose an immediate threat to health and safety.

The system also could be used to notify Community Emergency Response Team volunteers, and direct them to areas of the city in need of their help, he said.

CERT volunteers assist emergency response personnel during crisis situations.

City officials record the message and then CodeRED delivers it to a person or answering machine either citywide or to an affected area of the city specified by officials.

For example, in the event of severe weather, the system would contact only residents and businesses in the direct path of the storm.

CodeRED weather warnings are sent a few minutes in advance of the activation of warning sirens, and weather radio or media alerts. Calls to affected residents begin five seconds after the National Weather Service issues a severe weather alert.

The service is available only to residents and businesses within the city limits.

Aldermen recently agreed to a yearlong contract with CodeRED at a cost of $11,200. Under that contract, the city gets 18,500 minutes of notifications.

Wiegand said with Eureka's population of a little more than 10,000 residents, that cost breaks down to just over $1 per person.

Eureka residents or businesses must register if they want to receive CodeRED alerts.

You can contact Danette Thompson at dthompson@yourjournal.com.

How to register for CodeRED

The CodeRED emergency notification service is available to Eureka residents and businesses only.

To register, go to the city's Web site at www.eureka.mo.us and click on the CodeRED icon.

Residents without Internet access can visit any public library to use a computer for registration, or call the Eureka Police Department at (636) 938-6600, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

You will need to provide the following information when registering: first and last names, physical address (no post office boxes), city, state, ZIP code and primary telephone number.

An alternative telephone number, such as a cell phone number, also can be entered. The system works with cell phone numbers but requires a Eureka street address.

In registering, there is a TDD-only option for hearing-impaired residents. Messages delivered to phone numbers marked TDD only will be delivered in a TDD/TTY format.

Residents who have a listed land line in Eureka already are registered for the CodeRED weather alert. Registration is required to receive other alerts.

Businesses, TDD users, residents who have moved or changed their telephone numbers within the last 12 months, people with unlisted telephone numbers, and cell phone users are not automatically registered for the weather or other alerts.

What members say about CERT training

"I think the biggest reward of the CERT program is the assurance of the opportunity to be able to deal with disaster in a safe, effective and professional way. There is nothing worse than to feel helpless when your family, friends and community needs your help. The training also teaches you the limits of your capability, so your safety is not compromised. There is the potential in these classes to be as prepared as one decides to be. Everyone can take something home from these classes that could easily save lives in the event of even a minor disaster."

-Delbert W. Wittenauer, Monroe County commissioner

"I was surprised at the depth of the training. It really helps prepare a person to deal with all sorts of disasters, big or small. I now feel more confident that I can help my family, friends, or community in an emergency situation and would recommend it to anyone."

-Susy Schweigert, public relations representative, Harrisonville Telephone Co.

"With our busy lives and hectic schedules, it was heartwarming to see group of people come together for a common cause. Not often do you find interested citizens willing to give up part of two consecutive weekends to obtain training for something you need to prepare for, but hope you will never have to use."

-Susan Harbaugh, chief financial officer, Human Support Services

"The program has greatly heightened my knowledge of home preparedness and neighborhood/community assistance in the event of emergencies. The 20 hours of education and hands-on learning were very beneficial."

-Bob Hoffmann, retired banker

"I worked in medical field for over 25 years. I have attended many refresher and recertification courses during that time. I found the CERT program a great source of training for lay and professional persons too. I hope that I never have to use the training in our community, but I'm certainly glad that I have the knowledge and skills in case I do. I encourage everyone to take the course even if it is for their own families safety."

-Marilyn Huddleston, booking agent for Steve Davis, "Elvis"

"In talking with people who completed the training in the CERT program, they see a need for a volunteer program where people who are trained to help, know what to expect in a disaster and how to handle it."

-Don Dietz, former County Commissioner

Neighbors Helping Neighbors Locally and Around the World

New Citizen Corps Blog Launched
http://citizencorps.blogspot.com/

Crestwood receives equipment to help train residents

Homeland Security money used for citizen response teams

By Steve Birmingham
Saturday, July 19, 2008 9:56 AM CDT

Crestwood citizens trained to help their neighbors during a catastrophic emergency will have a place to store the tools of their trade.

Thanks to the city of Crestwood and the St. Louis Area Regional Response System, or STARRS.

STARRS, an effort of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, uses federal grants to help local governments plan for, protect against and recover from natural or man-made crises.

The agreement to accept the donation from STARRS of 55 backpacks, valued at $50 each, means residents trained as Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, members will be able to carry first-aid kits, tools, safety equipment and other items if they ever have to respond in times of emergencies, said Crestwood Deputy Police Chief Frank Arnoldy.

Arnoldy, who is part of the city's CERT training staff, said "if we didn't have this agreement with STARRS to get these backpacks we'd have to decide whether we would fund it or not."

"What we do is fund, through Homeland Security grants, various resources, whether it's in the fire department, police department, public health or hospitals, that could be needed when a disaster occurs," said STARRS Executive Director Dominic "Nick" Gragnani.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provides the money to the St. Louis metropolitan region and STARRS directs it to different initiatives and groups that are underway to help mitigate a disaster or get prepared for one when it does occur, Gragnani said.

One of those initiatives is the Citizen Corps, which "is similar to the Peace Corps, although at the local level they help citizenry get ready for when something major does occur," Grignani said.

"Within the Citizen Corps are different component. One of them being the Community Emergency Response Team concept," he said. "CERT helps prepare neighborhoods to deal with the disaster on their own until the emergency response is there to assist them."

The Citizen Corps trains neighborhood watch groups, clubs and other smaller groups to perform damage assessments, light searches and rescues, fire suppression and general first aid, Grignani said.

The city's agreement with STARRS allows the group to bring the residents a deeper understanding of what it takes to deal with disasters and the aftermath.

"I kind of refer to it as the Godfather agreement, where we're willing to do this for you, with the understanding that come someday that need is going to be there and you will respond to the citizens of Crestwood," he said.

Crestwood's CERT program teaches volunteers, after a 20-hour training course by the city's police and fire department, "to care for themselves and their neighbors if we have a major event or incident," Arnoldy said.

The specially made backpacks will hold, among other items, a mask, hard hat, work gloves, safety goggles, whistle and lanyard, orange CERT safety vest, flashlight, four-in-one spark-proof tool for shutting off utility lines and appliances, an adjustable wrench, duct tape, blanket, tarpaulin, utility knife, ear plugs, first aid kit and triage equipment.

Arnoldy said in times of catastrophic emergencies people have to be prepared to possibly fend for themselves for at least 96 hours without outside help.

"We're always looking for more people to get involved so they can be trained to take care of themselves and their families and neighborhood," Arnoldy said. "During an earthquake or weather-related things like tornadoes and ice storms, even electrical outages, during all those things you need to have supplies set aside and know how to take care of yourself and others until help arrives."

There are approximately 100 CERT-trained residents in Crestwood, Arnoldy said, and about 3,000 in the entire St. Louis metropolitan area.

There is a CERT training session already in progress in Crestwood but there is a waiting list for future classes.

Interested residents can contact Assistant Fire Chief Mark Menning at (314) 729-4741, or at www.metrowestcert.com.

Emergency helpers

Maryville to form amateur response team

By Mike Terry
Thursday, July 10, 2008 8:57 AM CDT

The Maryville Community Improvement Board is currently on the lookout for volunteers interested in joining a response team that would assist emergency services if a major disaster ever hit the village.

The new Community Emergency Response Team will be open to anyone over 14 and will hold its first training session on July 17.

"We did some research," said team organizer Dan Wright, who is also a member of the improvement board. "With the storms we have had and the recent earthquake, we thought it would be a good idea."

In a community like Maryville, which utilizes an all-volunteer fire department and operates with a limited number of police officers, Wright said that emergency officials can find themselves with their hands full very quickly.

Members of the CERT team will be trained in basic first aid, search and rescue, evaluating a disaster scene and how to survive without help for a period of at least 72 hours. By having CERT members taking care of the small matters, the professionals will have more ability to handle more serious situations.

"Nobody (on the CERT team) will be doing advanced medical procedures," he said. "But we can help by checking on people."

Once organized, Wright expects the team will operate through a phone tree with a centralized meeting point somewhere in Maryville. In the instance of something like a widespread power outage or a major storm, members would be dispatched to check area neighborhoods, senior living centers and other parts of the village to make sure everyone is all right.

Training will be handled by members of Collinsville's Emergency Response Team.

No experience will be necessary to join, although teenagers under 18 will need to obtain permission from their parents. Wright said they would be able to find a place for anyone, regardless of their age or physical capabilities, and nobody would be asked to do something they couldn't handle.

"We will only put people where they are comfortable," he said. "It's only as strenuous as you would make it."

Materials and training will be provided at no cost. Wright said they would like to have around 25 on the team and have already been spreading the word with fliers. Those interested should contact him or his wife Courtney at 205-3204.

ROCK COMMUNITY: Citizens train as emergency workers

By Trish Wallace
Wednesday, July 2, 2008 10:23 AM CDT

When local disasters threaten Jefferson County communities, trained volunteers are ready.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates citizens on how to care for themselves and their surrounding areas in the first few hours of an emergency, before first responders arrive.

The Rock Community Fire Protection District is teaming with the Jefferson County Citizen Corps (JCCC) to offer a new branch of the Jefferson County CERT program.

Through CERT, citizens learn about disaster preparedness and receive training in basic response skills including first aid, CPR, fire safety, light search and rescue, medical operations, team organization and an overview of terrorism.

Ron Harder, Rock Community public information officer, said CERT training teaches volunteers how to identify and reduce potential hazards in their own homes and neighborhoods.

The new program will offer a localized group of CERT volunteers to serve as an extension of the fire district.

"It will create an arm of Rock Community in conjunction with Jefferson County CERT," Harder said.

The goal of the Rock Community CERT team will be to not only have a trained citizen team trained and ready, but to have a team that will also volunteer for projects that improve community emergency preparedness in their own neighborhoods.

Rock Community is hosting an informational meeting 7 p.m. July 8 at House 4, located at 3889 Miller Road in Arnold. Attendees are under no obligation to commit to training or volunteering at the meeting, and no qualifications are required to begin CERT training.

To become a trained CERT volunteer, local residents must participate in a 20-hour training program approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Expenses for CERT training is covered by the Department of Homeland Security's Citizen Corps Grant program.

For more information, visit the district's Web site at www.rockfire-rescue.org or call 636-296-2211.

Weldon Spring, Cottleville join forces for Citizen’s Corp

By Mary Ann O'Toole Holley

Becoming part of the Cottleville or Weldon Spring Citizen’s Corp won’t put you in uniform, send you overseas, or send you to boot camp. It will, however, prepare you to help your family, your neighbors and others in daily life and in case of a widespread emergency.

The Cottleville Fire Protection District and Weldon Spring officials are promoting community involvement between their emergency services and everyday residents by providing an upcoming 20-hour Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program for city residents.

Seminars will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. May 16; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17; and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 18, at the Cottleville Fire District’s main station, 1385 Motherhead Road (at Hwy. N) in Cottleville.

Participants will learn disaster preparedness, how to perform light searches and rescue missions and to respond to community threats. If a disaster should take place in the area, those who complete the training will be able to work with city emergency response teams, using response and organization skills learned in the program.

CERT training was started in 1994 by the Los Angeles Fire Department and continues to be promoted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Cottleville Fire Protection District Assistant Fire Chief Scott Freitag, a trainer in the CERT program, says having an informed Citizen’s Corp will be a Godsend for area firefighters, emergency response teams and for area residents.

“It will help the Cottleville Fire Protection District and every resident in the areas we cover,” Freitag said. “This is the second program for Cottleville. But this time, we’re combining our resources to make our teams stronger.”

The first program was very successful, Freitag said. The people enjoyed it and had an opportunity to find out more about emergency services that service their area. But more importantly, they learned how to take care of themselves, their families and community in case of disaster, Freitag said.

Professional trainers will teach residents about disaster preparedness that can be used and passed on to teach their neighbors. They will learn basic first aid, about light search and rescue and how to evaluate an emergency scene, working within their training boundaries, Freitag said. They will also learn basic fire suppression—how to use a fire extinguisher and will learn more about the National Internet Management System—an offshoot of what the fire service has used for years as an incident command system.

“There are absolutely situations where we wish residents could pitch in to help. The situation that comes to mind is that St. Charles has had numerous storms that really taxed emergency services,” Freitag said. “They were able to call in residents to help road closures, clearing debris and more.”

Freitag said CERT volunteers would also be able to help during ice storms or any disaster situation.

“We may be able to bring in these folks to help with contacting senior citizens during power outages, heat waves and major storms in the area. When you have something of a disaster happen and all the firefighters are out, it’s a great time to use the services of CERT members – whether during a roadblock or when wires are down. To have people out scouting to see if a firefighter could help would be a huge benefit to the community. We would have volunteers ready, willing and able to help in any capacity including filling sandbags and setting up shelters during flooding conditions.”

Sonja Zeis, the Weldon Spring CERT coordinator, said the Weldon Spring team was formed in August 2007 with after 27 members were trained. There are currently eight active members, but the city would like to see as many as possible.

“The city tries to hold trainings twice a year, but partnered with Cottleville this year to increase resources, and because it’s always better to train with a bigger group,” Zeis said.

Cottleville has the fire department, Emergency Response Team and police management training, so it provides better connections, Zeis said.

The CERT Program is hands-on,” Zeis said. In case of a mega-disaster, it is good for citizens to know how to self-sustain for at least three to seven days. It’s also good to have people trained to help their neighbors, she said. If a violent storm or tornado took place and a neighbor had a tree on top of her, for example, they’d know how to get help to get him or her out safely.

Weldon Spring City Administrator Michael Padella, who also serves as emergency director for the city, said the CERT program wouldn’t be successful without residents and lay people volunteering their time and staying active.

“It’s completely based upon general public participation. That’s what it’s geared toward,” Padella said. “The program is still gaining steam, and we have not activated a CERT team, but there are opportunities whether they’re in or out of the city.”

Padella said with recent flooding near the Meramec River, there was a request for volunteers from Weldon Spring.

“Even if it’s one or two people, if you get that from every CERT team in the area you’ve got plenty of volunteers,” Padella said. “We are fortunate that we haven’t had anything that hasn’t lasted more than a day, but we have an elderly population, and if there is a widespread storm, firefighters and police will be taxed and CERT volunteers could fill a great need.”

Weldon Spring has also purchased a CERT portable trailer as a disaster assistant point. In case of a disaster, supplies and materials will be portable and available to help emergency responders. The city is also working on an inter-operable communication plan for the city to facilitate communications with residents and with emergency operation centers in Cottleville and St. Charles County.

“If we had a radio frequency that could communicate directly with our residents, we could somehow get on that frequency to send out immediate messages and let citizens know they need to take cover or evacuate because of a chemical spill or catastrophe,” Zeis said. “We want them to know what to do, and where to go.”

The communication system is currently under development, but in the meantime, Zeis says the first order of business is to create a strong Citizen’s Corps.

“It’s good that the community has a program to train others to respond to disasters because we live in an area that could have power outages, tornados and severe thunder storms. We are also close to the highway, and, who knows. A chemical spill could occur. With a Citizen’s Corps, we’d be ready,” Zeis said.

Volunteers don’t need a medical background, but need only common sense. The basic rule is to teach people to determine how many are down and who needs assistance. CERT volunteers will not administer CPR or provide medical care.

“For the average person, anyone can learn this to help themselves or others in case of a disaster,” Zeis said. “The more experience you have, the better prepared you are. Practice improves preparedness; that’s our motto.”

Sign on to become a member of the Citizen’s Corp at the Weldon Spring City Hall, 5401 Independence Road or Cottleville City Hall, 5377 Hwy. N, Suite A. Registration deadline is May 2. Participants must be at least 18 years of age. Breakfast and lunch will be provided during the May 17 and 18 training sessions. Class space is limited and there is a registration fee of $25.

For more information, visit the Weldon Spring Web site at www.weldonspring.org; call Judy Claus at the Cottleville Fire Protection District at 636-447-6655; or email weldonspringcert@yahoo.com, and someone will contact you.

The Emergency Action Plan Committee (open to the public) meets on the third Thursday of the month at City Hall at 6:30 p.m. City contacts are Alderman Dick Jelen at djelen@weldonspring.org (928-9297) or City Emergency Management Director Michael Padella, at mpadella@weldonspring.org (441-2110 x102).

Reprinted from Mid Rivers Newsmagazine

Teens may receive presidential honors

CERT program trains youth in disaster response

Monday, September 17, 2007 7:22 AM CDT

St. Charles County's Teen Community Emergency Response Team (Teen CERT) will now serve as a certifying organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award.

The President's Volunteer Service Award was established in 2003 as a national program that recognizes those who demonstrate a commitment to volunteerism. Presidential recognition is given to individuals, families and groups that meet requirements for volunteer service measured by the number of service hours performed over 12 months. These services meet national and community needs in the categories of youth achievement, parks and open spaces, healthy communities, public safety and emergency response.

To receive an award, volunteers keep a record of activities and hours served. As a certifying organization, the Teen CERT program is responsible for verifying those service hours, as well as nominating potential recipients, and ordering and delivering the award.

"Our Teen CERT volunteers are role models in their schools and community," said Mark Rosenblum, coordinator of the Teen CERT program. "We are proud to recognize our youth with the President's Volunteer Service Award, and it is our way of thanking these student volunteers and inspiring everyone in our community to make volunteering a central part of their lives."

St. Charles County's Teen CERT program graduated its first four students in August. Through the program, members learned how to identify types of disasters and hazards most likely to affect their homes and communities.

The program is designed for youth 12-18, but students may begin taking the training in as early as third grade.

Visit the Teen CERT Program's training and consulting Web site, www.stci.us, or contact Rosenblum at 636-332-0790 for more information.

For more information on the President's Volunteer Service Award and to find out how to identify additional volunteer opportunities in the area, visit www.PresidentialServiceAwards.gov or call 866-545-5307.