When I started at the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management in January 2008, I had been on the job less than 2 weeks when the state experienced a series of tornado outbreaks on February 5, 2008.  I was working the State Emergency Operations Center and watched the storms wreak havoc across our state.  From February through September of 2008, we had five federal declarations alone.  As I worked on disaster deployments in many counties, I saw first-hand how devastating these storms were.  In a matter of hours, the lives of countless Arkansans were turned upside down.  Fortunately, the loss of life in these storms was low.  But any life lost gives us pause to see if there is more we can do to prepare our citizens.

One of the important goals of the Citizen Corps Program is educate and train the community in ways they can prepare themselves.  It’s often said that we need to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours after a disaster.  And while this is a good start, many Americans and Arkansans live in rural communities.  These 72 hours may need to be adjusted to a week or longer.  This self-sufficiency must include everything you need to survive like medications, water for people and pets, food and safe living conditions.  Training and classes are available all around the country for the public to better prepare.

The public isn’t the only group who has a role in preparedness.  Responders in law enforcement, fire, emergency management, medical response and the private sector are all partners in preparedness.  This concept is commonly referred to as The Whole Community.  Our work in this area reflects a need to prepare for the needs of all members of communities.  Whether that means residents in low-income areas, those with access and function needs or the businesses that an area relies for necessities, everyone must make the effort to plan and prepare for disasters and emergencies that interrupt daily life.  The whole community is affected by disasters and the whole community must be a part of the response.

A little about Denton County, located north of the Dallas-Ft.Worth metroplex, population 638,000 plus. We have a CERT program that has several hundred active participants. With our training we have been able to perform search and rescue for missing persons, provided rehab to firefighters working fires big and small, run shelters for persons displaced due to hurricanes, and even assisted with assessing damage due to tornadoes and severe storms. 

Often I am asked about why our program is so successful and how we manage to have so many active, involved volunteers. The answer is that we have leadership at the volunteer, local and county levels that truly understands the value of having volunteer resources every day. By having background checked, trained and equipped volunteers we can provide a ready surge of manpower in an emergency, freeing up professional responders or assisting in certain specialties such as logistics or communication. I was able to think outside the box, thinking ahead, establishing a plan and resource to provide a solution. By doing so we have established an Animal in Disaster Response Team, Fire Rehab team that responds 24/7, Shelter Team, Public Education team, Training team and in 2012 we will establish a Board up Team. With so many schedules, we will have 3 meetings a month throughout the county so members will have the opportunity to attend meetings and trainings

As a past chair of Citizen Corps Council thru North Central Texas Council of Governments we strived to close the barriers of jurisdictions, enabling teams not only to collaborate on training and drills, but also opening the doors to each others jurisdictions. This enabled members to cross train and participate outside of their jurisdictions, by doing this it saves on cost and enables teams to work together for the good of all citizens.

Our elected officals Judge Mary Horn and Denton County Commissioners, Department of Emergency Services, Chief/EM Joseph Gonzalez, and Asst Chief Roland Asebedo, not only encourage involvement by our citizens, but go out of their way to provide resources and opportunites for training and working with various local public safety agencies. They trust our volunteers to do the right thing before, during and after any disasters. Many agencies are wary of volunteers due to a precieved lack of training, commitment, or professionalism and that can be a significant challenge. This sense of trust by our local officals has helped break through those concerns, allowing us to be seen as a valuable asset willing to help.

In turn, by being allowed to do our part, our volunteers gain a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in giving back to the community. At the end of the day, helping our neighbors and strengthening our community thru education is why we do what we do.

I am just a volunteer who has always lived with my granny’s words “if you can’t take care of yourself, how you expect anyone else to take care of you?” CERT has enabled me to take care of myself and my family which includes Denton County.

Brenda Gormley volunteers as the Denton County, Texas, Cert Coordinator and is currently secretary for Denton County VOAD Citizen Corps Council.

I am extremely honored and humbled to be selected as a White House Champion of Change and to represent NBCUniversal as the program manager for the company’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT.)  As an Emergency Manager and former First Responder, emergency preparedness, personal empowerment, and community engagement are principles I strongly believe in and have dedicated my professional life to. 

Time and again it has been demonstrated that public safety agencies quickly become overwhelmed in times of disasters, and that communities that have citizens who are well prepared and well trained fare better than those that don’t.  Disaster volunteers are vital in preparedness and empower ordinary citizens to take action in the event of an emergency. CERT programs provide training to ordinary citizens and allow them to care for themselves, their families and their neighbors during times of extreme crisis.  Emergency Managers from around the country have come to the realization that after a disaster, people want and need to volunteer, and that CERT programs are the key to making the most of the valuable resources that reside in every community.