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Kandiyohi emergency management reports disaster approvals, rescue squad activity and growing CERT program
Summary
Emergency Management Director Ace Bonama and specialist John Gilbertson briefed the county board on recent disaster declarations, recovery estimates, the county rescue squad’s call volume and expansion of the Wilmer Area CERT volunteer program.
Kandiyohi County Emergency Management Director Ace Bonama and Emergency Management Specialist John Gilbertson updated the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 7 about storm recovery, volunteer emergency response capacity and department priorities.
Bonama told the board the governor’s office approved a second state disaster declaration the previous day; townships and cities now have 60 days to amend original damage estimates. “Hopefully, with the 2 disasters that’ll be bringing back conservatively 1,200,000 back into our county of tax dollars,” Bonama said, referring to state-level adjustments to local damage estimates.
John Gilbertson said the department’s work covers preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. He said the June 2025 storm alone had an estimated $1,400,000 in public infrastructure damage, based on damage assessments done with cities and townships. Gilbertson described local exercises, public outreach and preparedness events the office has led this year, including a missing-person exercise at Sibley State Park and school reunification drills.
The rescue squad and CERT: Gilbertson explained the county rescue squad, established in 1948, currently has 21 on-call volunteers and has received about 126 calls so far this year (the board noted that number had increased since the packet). He said rescue volunteers receive specialized training including extrication, heavy-rescue stabilization and water searches.
Bonama and Gilbertson also highlighted the Wilmer Area Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Gilbertson said CERT began in 2018 and now has more than 90 certified members who have volunteered at roughly 30 events so far this year; a new member certification class is planned for November. Bonama recounted the program’s role in a nighttime Raymond train derailment that required mass sheltering, pet kenneling and multi-lingual volunteer support.
Funding and staffing: The board asked several operational questions about staffing and volunteer compensation. Gilbertson said emergency management has three full-time positions (director, deputy director, and the specialist) and the rescue squad volunteers are paid per-call. CERT members are unpaid volunteers who may receive gear and training if they join the active roster. The board discussed mutual-aid arrangements, spare equipment, training schedules and outreach to recruit volunteers across the county.
Why it matters: The update outlines the county’s emergency capability and recovery plans at a moment when several recent storms generated public infrastructure damage and triggered state-level disaster declarations that can bring reimbursement for eligible local repairs and response costs.
