POA No. 6 now has a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) sponsored by the Moore County Office of Emergency Management. Our team is made up of No. 6 residents who have been trained to assist in an emergency when County and local emergency service providers are not immediately available to help. Its goal is to offer immediate help to victims until professional services arrive, and to assist with non-emergency projects that improve the safety of the community.

Following a disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services may not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors such as the number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages may prevent us from accessing the emergency services we have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. We then will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet our immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.

CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations. Our actions can make a difference. Our CERT members can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize ourselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective. CERT training teaches skills that people can use to safely help while waiting for responders. The alternate is to do nothing and that is not in our nature.

Volunteers receive training from the Moore County Office of Emergency Management. The training consists of eight weekly evening sessions of up to three hours each, followed by quarterly training sessions. For questions, interest in joining or in an emergency, please contact