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	1998 FLORIDA WILDFIRES CERT Proves to be Valuable Deputy Chief Joe Daly Edgewater Fire/Rescue The worst wildfire season in the history of Florida began on May 25, 1998 and ended July 22, 1998. During that time period Edgewater Fire/Rescue was constantly challenged by the urban wildfires threatening to extend into Edgewater. We were working 12-hour shifts protecting Edgewater or as team members of task force and strike teams protecting other parts of Volusia County. WE NEEDED HELP! We activated the CERTs and they proved to be a valuable asset to the City of Edgewater. They staffed our phones 24 hours a day. The residents of Edgewater were constantly calling about the smoke from the wildfires. The CERTs assured the people that it was O.K. to stay in their homes and they were in no danger.
As the wildfires grew larger in size they caused large volumes of smoke to linger over Edgewater. We established a voluntary evacuation order especially for the people with breathing difficulties. The CERTs provided direction and instructions for the people who needed to evacuate. PANIC SETS IN! There was an erroneous press release that was broadcast over the radio and television. "There is a large wildfire in Edgewater and a mandatory evacuation order is in effect." The CERT's manning the firehouse were mobbed by the citizens of Edgewater trying to find out where they should go. The roads west, north and south were all closed due to wildfires. The CERTs verified that this was a false report and the citizens did not have to evacuate. It was a hectic time for the CERTs. They handled the incident in a professional manner. (Note: It took 30 minutes to get the wrong information corrected.)
	As the days turned into weeks the CERTs were always there. The residents of Edgewater brought an enormous amount of donations to the firehouse, such as bottled water, Gatorade and toilet articles, etc. The CERTs organized all the donations into categories and kept track of the names and addresses of the donors. They had everything lined up. It was like shopping in Wal-Mart. When the firefighting crews returned to quarters they were told to sit down at the table and the CERTs served them a delicious hot, homemade meal.
The services and dedication provided by the CERTs was overwhelming. Our CERTs people are highly trained to participate at all types of disasters. All we had to do was tell them what we needed and they took the ball and ran with it. Their organizational ability and cooperation were outstanding. The bond and camaraderie between the CERTs and Edgewater Fire/Rescue has increased. They are part of us and are included in all our activities. They helped us with our 50^th Anniversary celebration. At Christmas time they helped in wrapping and delivering gifts for the needy, etc. As I write this letter I was thinking how valuable they are as part of the fire department. We are holding a fireworks show on the 4^th of July, and to raise money to pay for the fireworks we had a golf tournament and boot drive. The CERTs played a large part in raising enough funds for the fireworks show. We are at a stage now where we automatically turn to CERTs for a helping hand at our disaster operations and community events.

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