How We Help! 

CERT trained people are ready to help with any type of disaster related response or recovery.

Elsewhere on this website, information can be found which identifies the basic training to be able to help in an emergency. Fortunately, these types of emergencies are few and far between. Independence CERT people are given opportunities to serve in advanced areas as well.

Search

March 8, 2008: Independence CERT was activated in March 2008 to search for a woman missing since the previous December. On that cold March day, 48 CERT people gave their time to try to find this woman.

September 25, 2008: CERT was once again activated in response to a call from Independence Police to assist they and our fire fighters to locate an elderly Alzheimer’s patient who had wondered away from his home. In this instance the man was found very soon.

Ongoing: Independence CERT is a supporting foundational member of the Eastern Jackson County Search and Recovery Team. Twenty-Four team leaders are presently undergoing advanced training in all aspects of search and recovery. They will be the core of an elite team providing advanced search capabilities through Jackson County, Missouri. Many of these team leaders received CERT training prior to their selection. When searches are conducted, each team leader will be supplemented with three to five CERT volunteers.

Damage Assessment

May 2008: In May, very strong winds caused much tree and home damage. CERT was activated early in the morning to form damage assessment teams. Partnering with RACES and VIPS, we covered the damaged areas, providing timely information to the city emergency operations center regarding the scope of the damage. Deploying these teams relieved city fire fighters for other duties.

Debris Management

May 2008: Following damage assessment, CERT volunteers activated over the two following weekends to assist the disabled, and financially unable to, cut up and clear fallen damaged trees.

Helping our Schools

July 26, 2008: Six Kansas City schools became a part of the Independence School District in early 2008. These schools had been seriously neglected and were in bad need of normal as well as annual maintenance. To meet the challenge of bringing these schools up to Independence standards, Independence CERT answered the call to serve with the city team when the Extreme Schools Makeover took place. At Fairmount elementary School, CERT people were approximately 20% of those responding on the city’s team. Other CERT volunteers served at the other five schools as well. While this was not a natural disaster, it was none the less a disaster for our Independence Kids. CERT responded well!

CERT Shelter Support Special Team

Independence CERT has created a CERT Special Team to aid the American Red Cross when they will need additional support. In the last part of August, CERT stood ready to assist the Red Cross and area emergency managers as everyone prepared for up to 1,000 refugees coming to the Kansas City area to escape Hurricane Gustav. We stand ready to help when disaster strikes other parts of our nation as well.

Keeping Our Children Safe

The Santa-Cali-Gon days festival brings many people to downtown Independence each Labor Day weekend. This is a time of much excitement and fun for visiting children. Independence CERT organized and operated the Lost Child booth during all three days. With assistance from RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services), VIPS (Volunteers in Police), other area CERT organizations and Independence Fire and Police Explorer posts, volunteers were on patrol and responded to 40 calls for help finding lost children. Our oldest child found was 87 years old!

We’re Ready!

Yes, CERT will be ready when the big disasters strike, but we are ever ready to answer the call for the more frequent minor disasters, both locally and nationally, We stand ready to help whenever needed making Independence a safer and more enjoyable place to live and work.