Fort Worth CERT

Fort Worth CERT was thankful to be invited to Councilman Alan Blaylock’s District 10 Town Hall at TMS. This was a great opportunity to speak with the residents of north Fort Worth. Thank you Chief Noakes and Councilman Blaylock for the kind words and support of our program!

The Fort Worth Police Department is grieving the loss of an officer who died in the line of duty on the morning of August 12, 2024.

Sgt. Billy Randolph, #2797, died this morning while working an accident scene.

The procession from JPS Hospital to the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Officer will begin at 11 a.m.

Billy was a father, husband, brother, son, and friend.
https://police.fortworthtexas.gov/2797/FWPD-2797.pdf

It's with great sadness we announce the passing of one of our members, Brinda Rhodes. Brinda passed away at home on Friday. Brinda was a valued and loved member of Fort Worth CERT. Her smile was contagious and her humor was legendary! Before retirement, Brinda was a nurse for over 30 years. Brinda was active in Fort Worth and White Settlement, two cities she loved. She believed in giving back to the community and was a true American. We are all going to truly miss her!

Visitation is tomorrow evening, May 30th from 5-8pm at Greenwood Funeral Home located at 3344 White Settlement Rd. in Fort Worth.

Day 2 at Pilot Point. It’s hot and humid out there!!! Fort Worth CERT went back to a house that they worked on yesterday which was covered by big trees. They finished up and moved down the list to other homes that needed assistance. Our CERT folks made many piles of tree limbs for the other cities parks departments that came with grapple trucks. They removed plenty of those pesky cotton trees. It was a great effort by surrounding agencies who all came together to help our fellow Texans who were in need.

Yesterday, Fort Worth CERT was activated by the Fort Worth Office of Emergency Management. The City of Pilot Point requested assistance from FWCERT to help with debris removal from the storms Saturday evening. Although Valley View took the brunt of the damage from the tornado, Pilot Point saw winds that toppled and uprooted trees 100+ years old. Many homes had trees that had fallen on them, creating hazards. CERT mobilized and started working on a list of addresses that were given to them by the city. Thank you to Fort Worth RACES for deploying with us to provide communications via HAM radio since we were outside of our radio coverage. RACES kept our ICS and communications working. Thank you to all of the CERT volunteers who responded to assist the citizens of Pilot Point.

Thank you to all of our members for their support of FWPD and the CERT program!

Sign up for CodeRed, the City of Fort Worth's alert message system. Download it today to receive warnings and alerts, especially about severe weather. https://cfw.pub/3WtMJ3o

Suscríbase a CodeRed, el sistema de mensajes de alerta de la Ciudad de Fort Worth. Descárguela hoy para recibir señales de alerta, especialmente de clima severo. https://cfw.pub/3WtMJ3o

We still have spots open for our Basic CERT Course March 22ns-24th. Visit our website https://www.certfortworth.org/certbasic/?fbclid=IwAR2TM6_cg40f90JTh7smvCpzrCqWQ6602D-UwXrr3NPk5BN_CPz96ENsuzE for more information.

CERT Basic Courses – Fort Worth CERT CERT Basic Courses Do you know how to respond to an emergency? Or what to do in a disaster? Join us for a FREE Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training program that educates citizens about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their community and teaches basic disaster response....

It's that time again! Our March Basic CERT Course is live on Preparing Texas. For more information, visit our website at www.certfortworth.org/certbasic/

🚨🥫 Emergency Preparedness Checklist for Canned Food Month! 🥫🚨

✅ Stockpile essentials: Load up on canned goods like beans, meats, fruits, and vegetables for long-term storage.

✅ Water, water, water: Don't forget to include plenty of canned water or other beverages in your emergency kit.

✅ Variety is key: Ensure a diverse selection of canned items to cover all your nutritional needs during an emergency.

✅ Check expiration dates: Rotate your stock regularly to keep items fresh and replace any expired goods.

✅ Don't forget the tools: Keep a manual can opener handy in case of power outages.

✅ Portable options: Opt for cans with pull-tab lids for easy access on the go.

✅ Consider dietary restrictions: Stock up on canned goods suitable for any dietary restrictions within your household.

✅ Ready-to-eat meals: Include canned soups, stews, and other ready-to-eat meals for quick and convenient options.

✅ Family favorites: Pack comfort foods that your family enjoys to boost morale during stressful times.

✅ Plan ahead: Create a meal plan using your canned food supplies to ensure you have enough for each day of an emergency situation.

Stay prepared and stay safe! 🛒🥫
https://knowhat2do.com/make-a-plan/emergency-kit/

On Nov. 19th, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) was deployed to the Parade of Lights which is held downtown every year. 38 CERT members were walking throughout the parade route to assist Fort Worth PD with extra eyes and ears to help keep this large event safe. The training they receive monthly helps prepare them for anything that may arise while at a large event. The CERT members were broken into teams to help cover the entirety of the parade and used their training with the Incident Command System (ICS) to stay organized. Our Communications team worked on 2 radio channels during the event and did an excellent job. Lauren Deodati even received a commendation from a citizen which was emailed to the department. Thank you CERT!

For those interested in getting your HAM radio license. Questions? Interested? Contact info is on the flyer.

Last week, Fort Worth CERT had the honor of assisting with the funeral of FWPD Sgt. Jon Jenson. We had 18 members help at the church and 3 that traveled almost 2 hours to his final resting place.

In September, Fort Worth CERT had a membership meeting and leadership meeting, deployed to the Rahr 5k, and was asked to assist with the Mayor's Committee on Persons with Disabilities Workshop. We had 30 members assist with traffic control during the Rahr 5k which was a success!

Happy National Preparedness Month! With the many disasters we’ve faced in last few weeks, we’re reminded even more on the importance of being prepared. Follow along with us as we share tips & resources for preparing older adults for any emergency.

More: fema.gov/blog/national-preparedness-month-reminds-us-take-control-1-2-3-disasters

Just a reminder...If you are interested in amateur radio, here are some classes that will help prepare you for the licensing test which will be given on the last day. If you have questions or would like to sign up, the contact info is on the flier.

During the months of June and July, Fort Worth CERT was very busy!

Many members answered the call from the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to assist with their Emergency Management Conference that was held this year in Fort Worth.

We also had a couple of members assist with the Juneteenth Walk for Freedom.

We were lucky enough to take some members to the National CERT Conference in San Francisco, CA where we took training courses and learned best practices from around the nation.

FWCERT was also activated by our Cold Case detectives to assist with a wide area search in dense brush on the east side of Fort Worth. We were happy to assist with this challenging task, as one of our CERT members along with a K-9 team, were able to locate the remains.

Our CERT members were honored to assist at the funeral of FWPD Officer Guerrero on June 29th.

CERT members assisted FD by working the Fireworks Call Center which helped lighten the number of calls our dispatchers received during the July 4th weekend.

FWCERT held a Basic CERT Course over one weekend in July where we trained and graduated 20 new members! Out of the 20 members, we had two Firefighters from the City of Alice, TX that drove up to take the class so they could start a CERT program in their jurisdiction.

On July 22, we hosted a Joint Training Exercise with Burleson CERT at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex. All 35 attending CERT members were also certified in Stop the Bleed during this collaborative event. It was fun to meet and train with our neighboring CERT team.

We also had a couple of training meetings where we practiced communications, debriefed from the search, and learned how to work alongside people with different personality traits than yourself. Great indoor training during this never-ending heatwave!

It's that time again!

Our next Basic CERT Course is now open for registration! It will be held July 14th-16th at the Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex. For information on the course and how to register, please visit www.certfortworth.org

It's been a busy April and May for Fort Worth CERT. Our volunteers have attended 2 training meetings, 4 days at Main St. Arts Fest, 4 days at Mayfest, and assisted with the FWPD Explorers Cowtown Showdown Competition. They logged a total of 1776 volunteer hours in the last 45 days! Thank you Fort Worth CERT members for your hard work and dedication!

Tax free weekend for preparedness supplies!!!

Last night's meeting topic was cribbing. Cribbing is creating a temporary wooden structure to support a heavy object using blocks of wood and a pry bar. The CERT members were able to lift a small trailer which was loaded down with equipment and weights. It's a perishable skill, so it was a good topic to have for our meeting!

How can it be 25 years already, Amber DeLong? Congratulations on this milestone 25th anniversary with the City of Fort Worth and with Public Events! We're grateful that you chose to share your planning and organizational talent with our clients, guests and fellow team members. Many happy memories were made because of YOU!

Visit Fort Worth Fort Worth Sports Nation's Best Sports Texas FFA Association

This past Tuesday at Fort Worth CERT's training meeting, we covered radio procedures and etiquette. Our CERT communications team came up with a training that made each member listen, scribe, and transmit. Not only did our members practice, it was also a training meeting for our communications team. We had four teams in various parts of the building covering 4 radio channels. Our communications team worked together to run the radios, scribe incoming information, and broadcast on the other radio channels. All in all, a job well done by everyone!

Interested in amateur radio? There is a Ham Radio license class in Haslet next month. See the attached flyer for more information.

Sunday was day 3 of Fort Worth CERT's Basic CERT Course. The topics were fire safety and disaster psychology. After their final exam, they went into Fort Worth Police Department's training village which simulates a small town with buildings such as a school, bank, gas station, and apartments. The students were able to take everything they learned over the last 3 days and put it into practice. Job well done!

Day 2 of Fort Worth CERT's Basic CERT Course was yesterday. The students learned about CERT organization and ICS, Light Search and Rescue, and Disaster Medical. It was a fun day with hands on training!