They wear green vests with reflective strips of tape. They wear green shirts, some bright green, some dark green. They have green baseball caps and green hard hats. They carry a green duffle bag filled with emergency supplies. And they all wear the insignia Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) proudly.
Who are they? They are your neighbors, friends or co-workers. They are accountants, homemakers, nurses, retirees, police officers, firefighters, salesmen, former military members, students, mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters, and the list goes on. Just everyday people who want to be better prepared for emergencies and disasters that threaten Ocean City and Upper Township.
Upper Township Emergency Management Coordinator Scott Morgan started the CERT program in 2005. Frank Donato, Ocean City’s chief financial officer, became Ocean City Emergency Management Coordinator in 2007 and has been involved with CERT ever since. Both serve as course managers and instructors and have been instrumental in making CERT what it is today.