The Community Emergency Response Team - CERT

Mission:

The Bedford Citizen Corps (BCC) supports the Town of Bedford and its emergency response organizations to prevent and mitigate emergencies.

Overview:

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) are subgroups within the BCC. The BCC volunteer program educates and trains citizens to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in the community and at home (e.g. fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster / medical operations). Additionally, when emergencies happen, trained BCC members can be deployed at the direction of the Emergency Management Director to provide critical support to first responders, provide assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster or emergency dispensing site. BCC members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.

BCC Member Core Competencies:

  • Incident Command and Management
  • Communications
  • First Aid
  • Traffic Management
  • Shelter Management

Who we are:

  • A group of professional citizens looking to give back to the Town leveraging both our professional and BCC learned skills
  • Volunteers – Town residents; many are employed in Town; each with special skills – teaching, nursing, medicine, social work, EMT, ham radio operation, meteorology, computer software, domestic violence victims’ advocacy; some are Emergency Response Team (ERT) members for their respective employers
  • Trained in Communications, First Aid, CPR, AED, Stop the Bleed, Shelter Management, Incident Management, NARCAN Administration, Emergency Distribution, Mental Health, Traffic Management
  • Our involvement doesn’t have to be solely emergency related; we have the management and communications skills to help and lead other volunteers and augment other teams

How we help the various Town departments:

  • Fire: Overnight Shelter management, daytime warming and charging spaces and kits, searches, Bedford Day booth, emergency preparedness, home awareness – how to turn off gas/electric
  • Police: Traffic management - Bedford Day traffic and parade assistance, Pole Capping, Carlisle Road Bridge Dedication Ceremony, Town fireworks, Job Lane Family Field Day
  • Health & Human Services: Flu shot clinic, bike to school, post mosquito, tick, and COVID-19 awareness signage at trailheads, COVID-19 vaccination and test clinics, household hazardous waste collection event, Youth & Family Services - Dinner and Discussion, Recreation - Bedford Day traffic and parade assistance, Food Bank - food delivery and packing assistance, drive-through distribution, delivery to homebound residents
  • DPW: Sand Bag preparation, Flood victim supplies and emergency kits distribution
  • Supplies (Shelter and non-Shelter): Cots, Blankets, Personal Hygiene Kits, Tables, Chairs, Tents, Water, First Aid Supplies, Radios
  • Town Manager's Office: We provide professional support to public events, (i.e. Summer Solstice), including communications and information distribution. We train others on the BCC core competencies and work together to drive awareness and engagement for greater benefit to the Town

 To Join the BCC, please download a BCC Volunteer Application and Confidentiality Agreement.

 For questions, please contact the Bedford Health Department at 781-275-6507 or health@bedfordma.gov.