The Westland City Council adopted a resolution authorizing up to $25,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.

Pro Tem Melissa Sampe, who brought the item forward, said the money is intended as a contingency fund to cover training, gear and items not provided by the county partner. “This $25,000 is just as needed,” she said, adding it is “very unlikely that we’ll use this amount” in full because the county will provide much of the training and equipment.

Council members described the program as volunteer-based and not a substitute for police or fire services. Councilwoman Rakowski emphasized vetting and made clear CERT volunteers will not be uniformed public-safety officers: “CERT volunteers are not police officers. These are individuals that can take some of the more mundane tasks… so our public servants can do what they’re trained to do.” Chief Dolly said the department will work with the county on training and coordination.

Council members expressed broad support and said the program will improve community preparedness for outages, disasters and other emergencies. The motion passed with no dissent.