CERT TRAILER COMPLETE – REVEALED AT THE 2017 ROSCOMMON EXPO 5/17/17
Thank you to all the Gerrish CERT members who volunteered their time to complete the inside of the CERT Trailer. Chief Hill is happy to announce that the project is complete and the Roscommon County Emergency Manager and the State Regional Emergency Manager have been notified that this valuable piece of equipment is mobile and ready for any CERT call-outs. The CERT Trailer was on display for the community to look at during the 2017 Roscommon Business, Recreation and Services Expo at the CRAF Center in Roscommon on May 17, 2017. Thank you again to the CERT Trailer Project “partners”: ACT NOW, Gerrish Township Police Department, Gerrish Township Fire/EMS Department and the Roscommon Rotary Club. Gerrish Township Emergency Services takes great pride in the Gerrish CERT team and are very appreciative of the professional group of volunteers that make up the Gerrish CERT team and are extremely grateful to have this unique piece of equipment that will not only be utilized in our area but throughout Northern Michigan when needed.
CERT TRAILER WORK BEE 2/2/17
Sgt. Patchin and Officer Norm LaBonte, along with four CERT members volunteered at a work bee on 2/2/17 to continue with the second phase of the CERT Trailer Project. They hung the white boards, moved lighting, secured all shelving units to the walls/floors and customized a bracket to hold the generator in place. Thank you Sharon Zacny, Bob Barber, John Ellis and Mike Briggs for assisting with the work bee.
PHASE TWO (CON’T.)
Work continues on the inside of the CERT Trailer with adding secure shelving and custom built-in storage compartments for CERT equipment and supplies. Thank you to Sgt. Greg Patchin, Officer Norm LaBonte, John Klein and Mike Briggs for all the hard work over the past few days. The CERT Trailer Project committee will continue to meet over the winter to complete the project.
PHASE TWO
Paint work bees were scheduled for June 29th and July 21st to paint the interior and the floor of the CERT trailer as the first part of the interior project. Sgt. Patchin is heading up a committee that will be working on finishing off the inside of the trailer and will provide secure storage places for CERT equipment and supplies including mounting white dry-erase boards, putting in a built-in pull down desk with areas for radios/communications and specific mounted storage for the generator and canopy tent. Thank you to Sgt. Patchin, Officer Shannon Fick, CERT members John Ellis, John Klein, Michael Briggs and Bob Barber for helping to complete the painting!!
PHASE ONE
In 2015, Chief Hill and the Gerrish Township Police Department partnered with Gerrish Township Fire/EMS Department and community sponsors ACT-NOW and the Roscommon Rotary Club and purchased a new 20′ x 8.5′ enclosed trailer for Gerrish Township CERT team use.
This trailer will be equipped with CERT gear and supplies and will be utilized as a mobile unit for use when the CERT team gets called out on any detail. The CERT team has received equipment through the State of Michigan 7th Region such as a generator, scene lighting, radio equipment, traffic safety lighting/cones, flashlights and GPS hand held units. The team has also applied and received grant money through the Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division for items such as dry erase boards, folding table and chairs, extension cords and power stations, triage tarps, first aid supplies, caution tape, notebooks and a digital camera to further equip the trailer. In 2014 the CERT team put in a total of 771.25 hours of training/meetings and 316.75 hours in call out details.
Representatives from the CERT TRAILER PROJECT are pictured above from left to right: Fire/EMS Chief Jim Lippert, Police Chief Brian Hill, CERT Member Bob Barber, CERT Member John Klein, CERT Coordinator Sharon Zacny, ACT NOW Chair Mary Link and Roscommon Rotary Club President Wally Chwan.
