CERT Meeting Wednesday Aims to Start Local Program

A meeting set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night in Watchung's administration building will kick off the borough's plans to launch a team of volunteers trained to help during emergencies.

Borough Councilman Stephen Black has been working on getting the program going in town. He noted the impact Warren's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) had following Hurricane Sandy and said such assistance would be helpful here, too. 

"We really need this in our community to help with communications during disasters," he said. "There's a great opportunity here for many of our citizens."

The CERT program is coordinated by the county's Office of Emergency Management. Volunteers in the program receive training, and can provide assistance to police and fire incidents, in addition to responding during storms and other emergencies.

Black noted the need for people familiar with Watchung who could help contact seniors and disabled residents during such times.

He has arranged to have a representative of the county program attend the meeting to give a half-hour presentation on the program, and answer any questions residents may have.

Black said residents should be aware the program requires completion of a training program that will primarily be offered in Watchung, but will also include two Saturday sessions at the county training facility in Hillsborough.

"Ideally, I hope we can find 10 people who are really serious about it," he said. "That's enough to start the program. The maximum is really...the sky's the limit."