Cape Coral’s CERT Program earns ‘honorable mention’ for 2014 FEMA Award
The city of Cape Coral’s CERT Program received an “honorable mention” in the 2014 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. The annual awards recognize outstanding efforts of individuals, programs and organizations throughout the country working to prepare their communities for emergencies. Cape Coral was an honorable mention in the category for “Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives.”
“Our Emergency Management staff and our many volunteers invest significant time and effort into community-wide emergency preparation,” said Cape Coral Fire Chief Don Cochran. “They are dedicated to helping keep our citizens safe in the event of an emergency or disaster, and they have earned this recognition.”
MOCERT1, a regional CERT operation in the state of Missouri, was the overall winner in the “Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives” category. Formed by Homeland Security Region D of Missouri, MOCERT1 combines the region’s city and county CERT personnel and equipment into one regionally deployable team. MOCERT1 has deployed teams to Moore, OK and Baxter Springs, KS.
FEMA received more than 230 applications for the 11 categories for their 2014 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. Applications were submitted from public, private, tribal and nonprofit organizations (as well as individuals) representing 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.