Madison Considers Creating Volunteer Unit To Support First Responders In Emergencies

MADISON, CT — Madison is considering the creation of a volunteer unit to support first responders during severe weather events and other emergencies.

At its Feb. 10 meeting, the Board of Selectmen authorized the first phase of a proposal to establish a Community Emergency Response Team, known as CERT. The initiative has entered a recruitment and assessment period to determine whether there is sufficient interest among residents before the program is formally launched.

The proposal was presented by Madison resident Ryan Duques, who described the unit as an auxiliary group that would operate under the direction of the town’s Office of Emergency Management.

“Our goal is simple: to create a trained, prepared auxiliary force that is ready to serve specifically when our community needs it most,” Duques told the board.

According to the proposal, the Madison program would focus on two primary functions.

One component would be shelter operations. Volunteers trained in American Red Cross protocols would staff the town’s emergency shelter at the Brown School during hurricanes or other major storms. Town officials said the intent is to ensure qualified personnel are available at shelters, allowing police and fire departments to concentrate on emergency response duties.

The second component would be an aviation unit made up of Federal Aviation Administration-licensed drone pilots. The volunteers would assist police and fire departments with aerial search-and-rescue operations for missing persons and with storm damage assessments.

Duques highlighted that a drone was recently used in Tolland to locate a missing person "in the woods in just a few minutes, accomplishing what would have taken officers on the ground many hours."

First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons said staffing shelters and warming centers has posed challenges during past emergencies.

"We’ve always kind of bumped into staffing issues about who is going to be at the shelter, and what assistance we can provide residents," Lyons said. "Creating one of these teams is something that would actually help the town out a lot in terms of these emergency [situations]."

Duques' presentation can be viewed here (scroll past the meeting minutes). Video of the Board of Selectmen meeting can be viewed here.

Residents interested in participating are asked to complete an expression-of-interest form as part of the recruitment phase; link to Volunteer Form: https://forms.gle/naoNpyK4GkHzM7Eu6

Volunteers would be subject to background checks and required to complete approximately 20 to 30 hours of initial training in disaster preparedness and basic medical operations.