Interested in being of service to your community?
The Medina County Emergency Management Agency is looking for volunteers to join the local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and the EMA Communications Unit. For more information or to apply, contact Matt Sturgeon at (330) 722-9240.
Mission Statement
To foster community preparedness and resiliency by recruiting, organizing, training and preparing volunteers to support local response to disasters and other emergency situations in Medina County; and to promote community disaster preparedness through public education and community outreach.
Medina County CERT & Comms. Unit Purpose
- Natural Disasters/Large Scale Incidents Response – events that cause widespread damage, or injury or threats to large numbers of people or concentrated areas of occupancy. These incidents can include fires, storms, floods, communications and utility disruptions, and other incidents that displace residents and require a prolonged response from the public safety or health community. Volunteers can be deployed by MCEMA any time the local emergency response capabilities are overwhelmed or jurisdictions are in need of general assistance by volunteer forces.
- Community Service Activities – opportunities to exercise during non-disaster situations, which foster the well-being of residents and to promote the mission of MCCERT and Comms. Unit including community events and public safety events
Organization and Administration
MCCERT and Comms. Unit are authorized by the Medina County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (MCEMA) and report to the Director through the Program Manager. MCEMA is a county government office organized under Ohio Revised Code 5502.26. The office services each political subdivision of Medina County and is governed by an executive board.
MCCERT is registered as a Community Emergency Response Team as defined by the United States Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). MCCERT is registered in the State of Ohio with the Ohio Responds disaster volunteer system.
The Communications Unit is a RACES Station (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, which is a FEMA emergency amateur radio communications program. Additionally, the EMA is also a SHARES (Shared Resource High Frequency Radio Program) Station, which is a program administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s National Coordinating Center for Communications that provides the means of communicating via voice and email around the world on federal radio frequencies.
Volunteer Eligibility
Volunteer participation in MCCERT and Comms. Unit is open to individuals residing, working, or possessing an interest in Medina County. Anyone who meets the following eligibility requirements is eligible to become a volunteer:
- Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application
- Ability to complete an approved volunteer selection process, including a Criminal Background Screening
- Ability to register in the Ohio Responds volunteer registration database and maintain registration requirements
- Ability to take the Emergency Management Oath pursuant to ORC 5502.34.
- Ability to complete initial and on-going training as described in this handbook and as required by the MCCERT and Comms. Unit Program Managers.
- Ability to meet the minimum training requirements
- Possess a valid State of Ohio driver’s license, proof of insurance when requested, and a driving record suitable to county policy to operate a vehicle (personal or County owned) on County business. (If not able to do so, assignments that require valid driving rights will not be made for any MCCERT or Comms. Unit activities, but volunteer participation may be approved on an individual basis.)
- MCEMA is a drug-free organization per the “Drug and Alcohol Policy” of the Medina County Policy Manual. Therefore, the use of illegal substances and misuse use of prescription medications is prohibited. Volunteers are also prohibited from being under the influence of alcohol when partaking in any CERT or Comms. Unit activities.
- Ability to perform required tasks with reasonable accommodation.
- Ability to abide by the Code of Conduct and Principles of Operation included in this handbook, standard operating guidelines as established by MCEMA, and the Medina County Policy Manual of the Medina County Board of Commissioners.
- Ability to portray MCCERT/Comms. Unit in a professional manner and refrain from activities that would degrade or diminish the credibility of MCEMA or either of the programs.
Volunteer Participation
All volunteers are required to attend at least 2 regular meetings or activities (deployments, trainings, events) per 6 months. For an activity to count towards this requirement, it must be approved by the program manager, as an activity that counts towards this requirement. Regular participation is required to ensure volunteers remain capable of preforming the required tasks, prior to deployment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in removal from the team roster.
