City staff recognized a new cohort of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) graduates and presented an emergency management update at the Nov. 18 Sammamish City Council meeting.

Mark Baird introduced CERT graduates and thanked instructors; Lacey Lewis, the city's Emergency Management Coordinator (also a supervising management analyst in admin services), described program details: an eight‑week CERT course covering fire suppression and medical help culminating in a full‑scale drill conducted in partnership with neighboring jurisdictions. Staff reported efforts this year that grew from the EMPG‑funded assessment: designation of an alternate Emergency Operations Center (EOC) site after the city's use of City Hall as a warming/charging center during the bomb cyclone, an inventory of EOC surge supplies, distribution and testing of P25 radios across city leadership and regional partners, GIS map book updates and the creation of a Sammamish‑specific recorded EOC training for staff reuse.

Lewis said the city will continue community engagement, training and quarterly emergency management advisory group meetings and plans to advertise additional CERT training in the coming year.

Council members praised the revived CERT program and asked questions about maintenance of CERT certification, tabletop exercises and coordination with external partners such as Eastside Fire and Rescue and King County.