Legal and Protective Services Majors Achieve Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Certifications

(South Easton) - Forty Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical School students are poised to make their communities safer places as part of their local Community Emergency Response Team. Previously certified in Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Legal and Protective Services majors received their CERT diplomas and emergency bags in a graduation ceremony attended by Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, Douglas Forbes, Region II Local Coordinator of the Emergency Management Agency and local emergency management directors including Norton Fire Chief Paul Schleicher, Stoughton Fire Chief Michael Laracy, Easton Fire Chief Kevin Partridge and Brockton Director Steve Hooke.

Mr. Forbes expressed appreciation to the CERT graduating class which consists of both juniors and seniors from local communities. "I'd like to commend all the graduates today for all their work and dedication. Thanks to their efforts, their communities and their state are a stronger place in which to live and to work. Congratulations on a job well done.”

Sheriff Hodgson also expressed thanks on behalf of police, NEMA and fire departments. “We need you. You’re our eyes and ears, and now you have volunteered for a response role. You're our partners. I'm proud that at a young age you've stepped up to help.” He advised students to always give their best as a good member of the community. “You're dealing with life and death. You're now a community resource and may be called upon. Speak with your community’s resource representative today.”

Brockton EMA director Steve Hooke has a 90 member CERT team in his community. “Over the last 2 years we have utilized the team, which includes young people, for a number of events, such as water distribution after a water main break. We received federal recognition for that. When an Alzheimer patient went missing, we utilized the CERT team. Through the distribution of flyers, the community got involved in looking for the patient who was found alive.”

The following students received CERT certificates and emergency backpacks:

Brockton - Rosangelis Barry, Brendan Beattie, Jason Depina, Adrianna Doughtry, Camden Duquette, Padayissa Fecu, Idsen Formilus, Alison Gabel-Mahone, Kaitlyn Gillis, Augosto Gomes, Ciara Gonzalez, Aleigha Howell, Mollie MacDonald, Deja McCottrell, Tayla Monteiro, Victor Monteiro, Abigail Quimby, Arianna Rios, Britni Sabella, Taryn Scanlon, Kali Stewart, Deshon Texiera

East Bridgewater - Stephen Kelley

Foxboro - Adam Lawson

Norton - Jordan Chmielinski, Kiara Jones, Cameron Lucier, Zachary Manni, Deana Paton, Marcus Puleo

Stoughton - Ashley Amaral, Nicole Fitzgibbon, Dylan Flynn, Andy Monteiro, Jason O'Neil, Rafael Reis, Miranda Sousa, Bryan Texiera, Marissa Wade

Taunton - Christine O'Connor

Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School is a public 9-12 vocational high school located in South Easton, Massachusetts, serving approximately 1372 students from Brockton, East Bridgewater, Easton, Foxboro, Mansfield, Norton, Sharon, Stoughton and West Bridgewater.