Northside Assembly CERT Exercise

On Saturday February 28th, 2009 the Northside Assembly Church CERT Team conducted the final exercise of their initial CERT training. The exercise took place and the Jackson Fire Department Training Center in Jackson, TN.

Fifteen CERT members from Northside Assembly of God Church of Jackson, TN and four CERT members from the Medical Support Command participated in the exercise and completed their basic CERT Training. Two MSC Cadets participated as 'victims' during the Search and Rescue portion of the training.

Congratulations to all participants on their accomplishment.

A special thank you is deserved by the dedicated volunteer instructor cadre for the Tennessee Homeland Security District 10 CERT Program. Instructors who assisted in the training of this team included:

James Woulfe (Madison Co Health Dept); Thomas Reeves (Jackson Fire Department); Leah Gray (Jackson State Community College); Marty Clements (Jackson-Madison Co EMA); Alan Castleman (Madison Co Sherrif Department); Bobby Smith (Jackson State Community College); Greg Flanagan; Scott Mizen and Ray Lipford (Medical Support Command).

Without our dedicated and expert instructors, the CERT Program would not be possible.

TEMA Emergency Communications Drill

On Thursday February 26th from 8 am to 10 am, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and Tennessee Homeland Security conducted an emergency communications exercise. The purpose of this exercise was to make contact with every county Emergency Operations Center in West Tennessee.The Tennessee Homeland Security District 10 CERT Teams participated in this drill. Each team leader attempted contact, by any mode of communication available, with as many of their team members possible. The CERT Team Leader then passed the number of contacts made to the Jackson-Madison Co. / District 10 CERT Coordinator. The CERT Coordinator then passed the information to the Jackson-Madison Co EMA via amateur radio which then passed the information to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency via amateur radio.

There were a total of four CERT Teams reporting in relaying 47 individual CERT Team member contacts:

Lambuth Area Neighborhood Association (LANA) - 7 check-ins
Northside Assembly CERT Team - 15 check-ins
Jackson State Community College CERT Team - 13 check-ins
Medical Support Command CERT Team - 12 check-ins

Congratulations on a job well done!

G. Michael Winslow, CERT Coordinator
Jackson-Madison County EMA
TN Homeland Security District 10
731-616-8599
gmwinslo@bellsouth.net