The City of Carmel by-the-Sea benefits from a number of volunteer and non-profit organizations which help the City. Carmel by-the-Sea CERT is a critically important group which focuses on community readiness and the ability to handle emergencies.
The Carmel by-the-Sea Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is made up of 35+ dedicated volunteers who support our Village and neighboring communities. During emergencies or disasters, both self-reliance and the use of volunteers under professional management will be necessary. Under the supervision of the Carmel by-the-Sea Police Department CERT provides community members with the disaster-related know-how they need to be self-sufficient and support others, if necessary, until help can arrive. The CERT program is a nationally recognized program developed under the auspices of FEMA and the national CERT network. Carmel by-the-Sea works closely with neighboring communities on the Monterey Peninsula providing mutual aid and shared training. Outside of Carmel by-the-Sea, CERT programs are now active in Monterey, Pacific Grove, Big Sur and Carmel Valley. All CERT team members complete a 21-hour training designed to emphasize hands-on experience taught by FEMA trained personnel. Training includes emergency first aid, light search and rescue, traffic and crowd management along with disaster relief.
The Carmel by-the-Sea CERT members participate in regular training programs and team meetings in preparation for frequent deployments in support of both the Carmel by-the-Sea Police and Fire departments. These deployments include:
- Down power lines
- Beach or park closures
- Special event assistance
- Lost person support
- Fire incident traffic control
- Flood evacuation
Carmel by-the-Sea CERT is recognizable in the community and supports Carmel by-the-Sea’s residents in a variety of ways. In 2021, Carmel by-the-Sea CERT worked 1064 hours (ATTACHMENT #3).
Beyond the deployment of CERT for various activities within the community, CERT’s relationship with the City includes (1) coordination with the Police Department through Corporal Rachelle Lightfoot, (2) providing support for storing CERT equipment at Sunset Center, and (3) appropriate coordination with Monterey Fire Department for events which would be normally led by the fire department and the interface between Carmel by-the-Sea CERT and Monterey CERT.
In recent weeks, the City was asked by CERT leaders for support with their uniform jackets and assisting, where possible, with consistent meeting room space. Through these ongoing efforts, it became clear both the City and CERT would benefit from formalizing the relationship as outlined in City Policy No. 89-47.