Hamden CERT
Community Emergency Response Team
Serving the Community in the Land of
The Sleeping Giant since 2004
"We do what we do for a cause, not for applause!"
Hamden CERT prepared, ready & equipped to assist Emergency Management with the COVID-19 National Emergency
July 2020
As summer has now arrived and we hope for less social distancing and restrictions, we would just like to share with you what Hamden CERT has been accomplishing over the last 3 months, during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since the FEMA sponsored, Community Emergency Response Team Program (CERT) is all about helping our community, as our purpose, we have been very busy.
Just to review, the CERT Program is a 3-Fold Program with specific goals. First, members make sure to protect and secure themselves and their family during any emergency. Second, when able to, members reach out to their neighbors to support any needs. Third, when safe and available, members reach out and connect with other team members to supply any assets or support to their community as part of the trained and certified team. With the lack of community events that we are accustom to over the past years like Fireworks, Concerts, Food Truck Festivals and other major events, many of our members were concerned about what other activities we could support. In reviewing the first half of year (2019) compared to what we have done over the last 23 weeks, it was very surprising to see what has transpired!
Last year Hamden CERT Members contributed over 600 service hours from January to August, supporting community events. This year starting with the pandemic impact starting around the middle of March, our volunteers have provided much needed support to many of the vital services required by our community members. I would like to share with you what the dedicated volunteers of Hamden CERT have accomplished over the last 15 weeks.
Food Distribution – 10 total events, packaging & distribution – 720 Hours, serving over 2,400 meals to needy families. (Averaging 200 to 300 cars per event)
Points of Distribution for PPE – 11 POD’s totaling – 137 Hours, distributing hundreds of face masks and digital thermometers to area small business owners.
Food Deliveries, Assisting Hamden Elderly Services – 11 Deliveries – 98 Hours – making weekly deliveries every Tuesday to homebound elderly residents throughout Hamden.
The mission statement of Hamden CERT is all about people helping people and as you can see, we take pride for the fact that we work alongside our First Responders and are also an exclusive part of Hamden Emergency Management.
(See Our Mission Statement below.)
Mission Statement – Hamden, Ct. CERT
The mission of the Hamden Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is to assist our families, neighbors and community, along with our local Police & Fire Departments when needed. Our team is FEMA Certified, trained and available to provide logistical support for any large-scale emergency or planned community event that would deplete the on-duty first responder personnel.
Hamden CERT is also the volunteer branch of Hamden OEM (Office of Emergency Management). Members are always available to assist all operations of Hamden’s EOC (Emergency Operations Center) and trained to manage any Mass Care Sheltering Operations, Points of Distribution for food, water or medications or any other logistical needs!
Continued:
Hamden CERT Members were also able to support the Grace & St. Peters Episcopal Church: “Dinner for a Dollar” in collecting $570 from our CERT Members to support and serve 2 Dinners, serving close to 200 community members! During this time, we were also able to assist our Hamden Fire Department Personnel, with logistical support and rehabilitation services during the 3 weeks of Live Burn Training that was held during the month of May, totaling 150 hours. As we head into the month of July, we are now preparing and planning for the “Drive-by Hamden High School Graduation” where we will be assisting with the logistics of directing and parking over 400 vehicles that will drive by the portable stage at Hamden Town Center Park and allow the graduates to receive their diploma’s.
“I’m sure that I speak for all of our members when I say: thank you to Mayor Leng, Chief Merwede, Fire Department Staff and Personnel for allowing our members to participate and be part of the team that provides so many vital services to our community on a daily basis.” It is always an honor to serve alongside of our First Responders, especially during this national emergency and trying times over the last few months.
“Please remember to be safe and do your part, for all of us during this difficult time. We are all in this together!”
Respectfully submitted,
R.J. Freeman Jr.
Hamden CERT
Thank you to Porto's Tire of Hamden for their generous donation to Hamden CERT!
Thank you to Porto's Tire Service of Hamden, CT. for their generous donation of 4 Chrome Wheel Covers for our Hamden CERT Emergency Response Vehicle! A Special "Thank You" goes out to Hamden CERT Member Marc Goldberg for making this happen! We truly appreciate your recognition of our service to the Hamden community and are proud to have you as a member of our team!
Hamden CERT assist Samaritan's Purse with Disaster Relief after the Tornado of 2018!
Hamden CERT Members had the opportunity to assist the volunteers from “Samaritan’s Purse Relief Organization” in assisting homeowners recover from the damage caused by the tornado and storms of May 15th. Multiple teams headed out to Hamden, North Haven and Wallingford in assisting homeowners with the cutting of hazardous trees, limbs, branches and removal of storm debris.
Appreciative and amazed are two of the comments that we heard over and over durning our many days of deployments. Thankful beyond words and happy tears were not uncommon with the people we served. Rewarding and fulfilling were the feelings that we experienced in helping these folks and assisting them with their long road to recovery. The damage to our community is extensive and working alongside these outstanding volunteers from all over the country was a blessing that goes beyond words. A Special Thank you to Pastor Jim Detweiler of Hope Church, North Haven for the use of their facilities and to Chick-Fil-A, North Haven for supplying us with a great meal on Saturday, June 23rd for the workers and the folks that we served, during that day.
"A Special Thank You goes out to our Hamden CERT Members" who volunteered over 100 service hours assisting the members of Samaritan's Purse. It was an honor and privilege to be part of the team from “Samaritan’s Purse” who have helped folks from all over the area. Again, thank you to all the members of “Samaritan’s Purse” for the blessings that you provided for so many of our neighbors, in their time of need! We will always remember you for your fine example of people helping people!
"Thank you to Our Friends from the Hamden Rotary Club!
"We thank you again, for our
2025 Grant Award!"
"Service above Self!"
The members of the Hamden Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) would like to thank the Officers, Directors and Members of the Hamden Rotary Club for their ongoing support of our program. We are honored to work alongside of the Rotary Members for the common, civic goals of making our community a better, healthier and safer place for all of us!
"We are privileged to have the opportunity to work along side of our Hamden Rotary for the Betterment of our Community!"
Thank you Dunbar Hill Station #8 Members!
We would like to take the time to send a special thanks to the members of the
Dunbar Hill Fire Company #8 for their hospitality and opening their meeting hall to our Hamden CERT Members for our monthly meetings and trainings. Their generous proposal allows us to hold our basic training classes there also.
"Their generosity allows us to have a place to hold all of our activities and also have a place to call home!"
The funds raised by the rental of their hall are used for the upkeep & improvements of their station and equipment. If you know of anyone who is interested in the rental of the hall, please contact them through the information provided below. "We sincerely thank the membership of Dunbar Hill Station #8 Volunteers for reaching out to us and proving again the affiliation and teamwork of Volunteer Emergency Services helping our community to be a better and safer place for all of us!"
EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
The primary mission of Hamden CERT is to assist the community after major disasters when first responders, who normally provide fire and medical services, will be unable to meet the increased demand for their services.
Factors such as increased number of casualties, communication failures, road blockages, and damaged infrastructure will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through dialing 911. Our residents and visitors will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life- saving and life-sustaining needs. This is when and where CERT Volunteers would step up and provide our community with the emergency care and skills needed to help them stay safe until additional services can be provided.
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PRE-PLANNED COMMUNITY EVENTS
Our goal is to educate our residents and make all of our citizens aware of the need to be prepared and to assist our neighbors and first responders when needed.
As a volunteer community organization, we constantly reach out to the public. We have assisted our town and its residents at many annual community events, including; Hamden Town Road Race, Hamden Expo, Earth Day, Summer Concert Series, Food Truck Festivals and the Annual Fireworks Celebration.
Hamden CERT Upcoming Events
Saturrday, June 14th, Hamden Festival & Road Race, Town Center Park, 8:30 am.
Thursday, June 19th, Monthly Meeting & Training, Dunbar Hill Station, 7:00 pm.
Friday, June 27th, Annual Fireworks Celebration, Town Center Park, 6:30 pm.
Note: Listed times are the start of the venue; Hamden CERT Members will arrive earlier!"