A UT Community Emergency Response Team will launch in September with free training. This follows the city of Austin’s initiative with its pilot CERT program, which starts Friday. Both CERT programs, though operating separately, are designed to bring volunteers from campus and across Austin to train for emergency events.
Derek Trabon, senior director for Security and Emergency Management, said the UT CERT will have a similar design to the city’s program with free training, but aims to attract students in particular. The objectives for both teams include disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations and disaster psychology, according to the training registration page.
Jim Redick, director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said CERT volunteers are the “first-first responders.” Those very first responders are family, friends and neighbors who train to help themselves individually and their communities, he said.
“I don’t know if folks know how limited public safety resources are, so it could take some time for them to respond to a widespread incident,” Redick said. “Having those for some multipliers in the community would be a benefit on campus and off.”
Trabon said the UT CERT will assist with storm cleanups and emergencies in residence halls, but the department also wants it to focus on understanding the needs of populations with disabilities. Meanwhile, Redick said the Austin team would assist with larger city operations and volunteer needs, such as vaccination clinics. The programs are designed not only to help the community, but also to build leaders through CERT, Trabon said.
Redick said he would like the UT and city CERTs to work together in the future, but the hope is to bring community members to emergency front lines and grow their respective programs.
“To have a city within the city, we need to be closely linked,” Redick said. “Whether it’s this and other programs, there’s a lot that we as the city and the University can do.”
Trabon said the department started the idea of a UT CERT in the spring. It wasn’t until Redick reached out about their program that Trabon felt the team announcement should be released following the Austin CERT team’s release.
“The timing couldn’t have been better,” Trabon said. “The power of a structured volunteer force is just invaluable.”
