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	Amateur Radio and the Seminole County CERT Joseph McCluan, Seminole County Emergency Manager & Alan Fisher, Seminole County CERT Association Chair In October 1997 Seminole County began to teach CERT training to their citizens. Classes were developed to prepare citizens for the time when they would have to eventually be self-sufficient after an incident when emergency services would be overwhelmed and unable to respond to all calls for assistance. The classes were seven weeks long and lasted 2 ½ to 3 hours. There were a number of members from our ARES/RACES group in our first class who wanted to be better prepared. In almost every class, a member of ARES/RACES has participated. We have also done a segment on communications where the class is introduced to amateur radio.
As the program progressed, Joe McCluan (KE4ZIO) CERT Coordinator/ Emergency Manager, recognized a missing element to the program. We were training people to not only help themselves, but also their neighbors. CERT was developed so neighborhoods could develop teams and respond. It became clear that if we had teams in the field they would need to communicate with other groups and maintain communications with the Seminole County Emergency Operations Center. This meant they would be the eyes and ears of Emergency Management in areas of devastation where emergency services were unable to respond due to being overwhelmed. An additional concern Joe had was the county counted heavily on the amateur radio operators whenever shelters needed to be opened or the EOC required its own communication system in the field. Amateur radio had a dedicated group that could always be counted on, but as an organization they hadn’t been growing and natural attrition would render them ineffective.
Joe enlisted the help of Alan Fisher (KG4CWT). Alan was an active member of ARES/RACES and also Chairperson of the Seminole CERT Association. Joe asked Alan to develop a radio training program that would help CERT volunteers obtain “no code” amateur radio operator licenses. The classes would last seven weeks and two hours per class. Alan wanted to see CERT expand its role and value to the county. The concept was extremely simple. A large percentage of CERT volunteers had shown an interest in public service and wanted a role in the county emergency management operations during disasters. While CERT would, in most cases, self activate within their neighborhoods during most severe emergencies, RACES was activated several times during the year, once being during Hurricane Floyd. As SKYWARN spotters, they assist the National Weather Service and Seminole County in reporting severe weather.
The Seminole County Department of Public Safety opened the training facility rooms for the classes. Alan charged only the cost necessary to cover the materials and testing for the students. He enlisted the aid of other RACES amateurs and the first class began with 12 students. Eleven of the original 12 students obtained their licenses, and five joined RACES immediately. Two of the class members were members of the Emergency Management staff, which has expanded their value in the emergency management field. CERT increased its communications capabilities and RACES added new active members. A second class was held and the graduates continued to increase the communications capabilities of CERT while expanding RACES membership. Now a firm fixture, Alan plans several classes during 2001. Again, the partnership between the County and volunteers shows a win-win situation for both. The County provides the classroom facilities and a place for amateur radio testing, and the RACES organization provides the instructors, expertise and test examiners. Both organizations are assured of growing membership and reliable communications. RACES amateur operators are encouraged to take the CERT training, thereby making them potential lifesavers, as well as reliable communicators.

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