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Public safety committee starts process to revive Taylorsville Community Emergency Response Team
Summary
Following strong community interest, Taylorsville’s public safety committee plans to restart a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), with training aligned to FEMA guidance and coordination with regional partners and ham‑radio volunteers.
The Taylorsville public safety committee on April 2 reported plans to revive a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) after a well‑attended community meeting.
Tony Henderson, public safety committee chair, said the advisory group advertised the idea for months and held a February meeting that drew about 55 people. “We decided we’re gonna continue that exploration and see if we can get CERT going again,” Henderson said, citing local interest and volunteer experience among attendees.
Committee members described a history of CERT activity in Taylorsville, noting the city previously maintained volunteer teams and equipment caches that fell into disuse. Council members and staff estimated the program had reached roughly 160 volunteers when it was fully active. City staff and committee members said caches remain in place though some supplies will require inspection and replacement.
Next steps the committee outlined include adopting a training schedule based on FEMA’s CERT curriculum, coordinating with nearby teams and emergency‑communications volunteers (ham radio), identifying neighborhood team leads and scheduling quarterly refresher exercises and an annual citywide drill. The committee emphasized sustainability as the primary challenge: keeping volunteers engaged over time and identifying a lead agency to coordinate training and equipment maintenance.
Council members encouraged outreach to younger residents and tying CERT training to neighborhood‑watch and emergency‑preparedness outreach. The committee plans to convene volunteer lists from the February meeting and propose a summer training schedule.
