CERT team topic of regional EMA meeting

VW independent/submitted information

On February 21, Van Wert County EMA Director Rick McCoy hosted the Northwest Ohio EMA Directors meeting at the Black Angus on Main restaurant in Van Wert.

County EMA Directors from the Northwest region, along with Ohio EMA Deputy Director Russ Decker, discussed issues related to flooding occurring around the state, as well as EMA programs in the respective counties.

For Van Wert County, McCoy featured the new county CERT team that was recently created and how it would be used in Van Wert County. This included the disaster related responses involving damage assessment, setting up canteens for emergency responders at fires and natural disasters, search and rescue, traffic control, assisting house fire victims, and sheltering.

McCoy noted the Cert team approach is going to be very valuable when disaster strikes and emergency responders are stretched thin. The other counties were very interested in the approach that Van Wert County is taking to sustain emergency response with a local approach.

After the meeting ended, CERT team leader Mark Klausing, who was in attendance, was approached by Decker.

“I want to congratulate the team on making this move,” the Ohio EMA deputy director said. “This team will be the one to watch.

“This team has a lot of experience and should make disaster situations move faster and help the community out in a great way,” he added.

Klausing said he was very pleased with what the deputy director had to say about the team, adding his opinion that it is a good feeling to know the state is behind the local CERT team and will support it with anything it needs. Decker also made a financial donation to the CERT team.