Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Emergency Management topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board asks staff to study options after debate over CERT sponsorship and equipment ownership
Summary
County staff and CERT members debated whether the Community Emergency Response Team should remain under the sheriff's office or move under county emergency management; concerns included unclear equipment ownership, dwindling active membership, and bylaws and sponsorship questions. The board asked staff to research transfer procedures and return with options.
Taylor County commissioners and volunteers spent more than an hour discussing the organization, sponsorship and equipment of the county's CERT/CERP volunteer program. The central question was whether CERT should remain sponsored under the sheriff's office or be administered by county emergency management.
Emergency management staff described current volunteer roles (shelter support, phone tree, traffic control and search and rescue) and noted there are multiple possible organizational models, including keeping the current sponsor, transitioning CERT under county emergency management, or establishing a county‑run Citizens Corps volunteer program focusing on shelter and community needs.
CERT members said changes to sponsorship and unclear bylaws have contributed to member dropoff and frustration; one CERT member urged the program stay under the county commission to ensure transparency and local control. Staff said some equipment (trailers, radios) was purchased with different grant sources and that ownership must be clarified; high‑water vehicles and some heavy assets remain under the sheriff's office due to grant eligibility rules.
The board directed staff to research the procedural steps and governance implications of a sponsorship transfer (including whether the CERT board would have to vote on a sponsor change), identify which items are county property versus sheriff's property, review bylaws and funding options, and report back with recommended next steps.
