This seven-week course uses a standard curriculum designed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and teaches basic skills in disaster preparedness, fire safety, first aid, terrorism awareness, disaster psychology, and search and rescue procedures. The CERT course is designed to give the average person tools to not only prepare themselves and their family during severe weather or other emergencies, but to assist community members and emergency personnel when needed. Contact the CSPDC to register.

Over the past 50 years, the Central Shenandoah Region has experienced natural disasters ranging from tropical systems, winter storms, tornadoes, and derechoes but instead of succumbing to its vulnerabilities, has decided with the assistance of the CSPDC to forge a path of resilience.

The year 1969 was a year of historical events; a man walked on the moon, the Woodstock music festival occurred, the CSPDC was established, and Hurricane Camille made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane. By the time Camille reached Virginia, it combined with other weather factors to cause cataclysmic rainfall; 31 inches in Nelson County and 8 inches in Rockbridge County. I n Virginia 153 people died, including 23 people in Rockbridge County. Hurricane Camille was the start of flooding that, over the next 30 years, would devastate communities in the Central Shenandoah Region, including Agnes in 1972, the Election Day Flood in 1985, June Floods in 1995, Hurricane Fran in 1996, and Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

To end the cycle of damage and repair, the CSPDC stepped in after the 1995 floods to help localities with numerous flood mitigation projects designed to protect people and property through elevation, relocation, and acquisition of homes, and floodproofing of businesses. In 2000, the Shenandoah Valley Project Impact was formed to educate people on how to prepare for severe weather, emergencies, and disasters and to put in place mitigation measures that reduce damages. This was followed by starting the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program in 2003.  For over 15 years, the CSPDC has been assisting the communities in our region with Emergency Operations Plans, Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Plans, and Community Wildfire Protection Plans. The CSPDC also maintains the Central Shenandoah Hazard Mitigation Plan.

The Census will occur on April 1, 2020 and for the first time, will allow responses to be collected online, in addition to by phone and by mail. This will insure that every household has the opportunity to respond and provide important population measures. The Census results, collected once a decade, help determine how more than $675 billion in federal funding is distributed to states and communities every year. Businesses use Census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores. Residents use the Census to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy.

As the Census date approaches, communities are forming Complete Count Committees (CCCs) that will create strategies and work with nonprofit and civic organizations that serve hard to count populations. The City of Harrisonburg is hosting a Census workshop to address collection challenges and solutions on Monday, June 24, at 5:30 pm in Hart Classroom 255 at Hotel Madison. These collaborative efforts will help insure that the most accurate data possible is collected. Visit the 2020 Census website for more information.

Over the past 16 years, the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro Emergency Response Team (CERT) has been focused on community education, preparedness, and safety. At the foundation of the program is a seven-week training course, offered in the fall and spring, to prepare volunteers on how to assist with community emergencies and mitigation education. The most recent training course was completed on May 23rd. Today, CERT has trained over 1,000 volunteers in our region.

This year, CERT volunteers assisted Augusta County Fire-Rescue install free smoke alarms in mobile homes and at mobile home parks throughout Augusta County. CERT volunteers also promoted the program and its safety precautions at the “Touch-a-Truck” event sponsored by Augusta County Fire-Rescue, the Dooms Fire Department’s Kids Fun Day, and the Green Valley Book Fair’s Safety Day. To learn more about how to get involved with this active volunteer team and gain helpful emergency response insights, subscribe to the Resiliency Newsletter or contact the CSPDC.