LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending Port Richmond Community Emergency
Response Team for its dedicated service to the community

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to call attention to
the dedicated efforts of those organizations and individuals from across
the State of New York who volunteer their time and energies in service
to the community; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
Port Richmond Community Emergency Response Team for its dedicated
service to the community; and
WHEREAS, The Port Richmond Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is
an active neighborhood and community-based volunteer team committed to
informing and educating their neighbors about disaster preparedness,
assisting public safety agencies and local community boards with public
events, responding to local disasters, assisting agencies in managing
spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and participating in communi-
ty outreach opportunities; and
WHEREAS, In 1986, the City of Los Angeles Fire Department developed a
pilot program to train a group of leaders in a neighborhood watch organ-
ization; a concept developed involving multi-functional volunteer
response teams with the ability to perform basic fire suppression, light
search and rescue, and first aid; this first team of 30 people completed
training in early 1986, and proved that the concept was viable through
various drills, demonstrations, and exercises; and
WHEREAS, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) decided to
make the concept and program available to communities nationwide in
1993; the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), in cooperation with the
LAFD, expanded the CERT materials to make them applicable to all
hazards; and
WHEREAS, In January of 2002, CERT became part of the Citizen Corps, a
unifying structure to link a variety of related volunteer activities to
expand a community's resources for crime prevention and emergency
response; and
WHEREAS, The Port Richmond CERT program began on November 1, 2003 with
the first five teams beginning their 33 hour training course; these
groups completed the 33 hour program in December and graduated in early
January of 2004; and
WHEREAS, As of July 2003, 48 states and six foreign countries are
using the CERT training; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend Port Richmond Community Emergency Response Team for its dedi-
cated service to the community; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Port Richmond Community Emergency Response Team.