CLOVIS HIGH SCHOOL TEEN CERT AWARDED FEMA REGION 6 YOUTH PREPAREDNESS AWARD CLOVIS
Emergency Management Director Dan Heerding and the Clovis High School Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) have been awarded the FEMA Region 6 Youth Preparedness Award for the program’s impact at school as well as the surrounding community. In addition to their regular studies, CERT Basic Training (and AFJROTC curriculum for those who are cadets) Clovis High School Teen CERT members must complete a number of FEMA training courses on the National Response Framework (NRF), the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the Incident Command System (ICS).
The Clovis High School Teen CERT has participated in multiple responder trainings and has deployed to 3 major community events. The team has donated 856 hours and one team member has even been credited with saving a life. As Dan described “The team assisted and is a force multiplier for our 4th of July firework event and the Curry County Fair. Teen CERT teamed up with CFD and assisted with any response during those events. With the training we have done we do have one student that has a life-saving credit. He ended up performing CPR on his stepmother.”
The competition was fierce and each category saw close scores. All submissions were already voted as state winners before being rated at the regional level by two Region 6 Community Preparedness Working Group members/partners from each state. An award presentation will occur in the coming weeks during a City of Clovis Commission Meeting.
The cadets of NM-021 identified an opportunity to make their community a safer place. They established something important and noble that Clovis/Curry County Office of Emergency Management Dan Heerding Director extends beyond themselves. Through their own hard work and self-sacrifice they have made something from nothing.