Virginia Governor honors Stafford County Community Emergency Response Team

The volunteers Stafford County calls on in times of an emergency were recognized by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.

On Saturday, March 20, Stafford County Fire and Rescue received the Governor’s Award for Outstanding Contribution to EMS Emergency Management and Preparedness and Response, known as the James A. Nogle, Jr. Trophy. This award highlights the work of the Emergency Management Division and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) over the past year in their response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The team collected and distributed supplies through the personal protective equipment warehouse, which was set up at the department’s training and logistics center with the help of department training staff. The award also commended the departments participating in PulsePoint and designation as a Heart Safe Community.

“Our CERT volunteers are the best in the business. They routinely respond to emergencies at all hours of the day and night, and they thrive on adversity and challenge. Collectively, they have hundreds of years of public service experience, and it shows in their dedication and passion for service. Our CERT volunteers are an integral part of our department, and we simply would not be successful without them,” said Stafford County Fire and Rescue Chief Joseph Cardello.

Stafford County CERT and Emergency Management staff have not only worked hard throughout the pandemic, supporting coronavirus testing efforts, vaccination clinics, standing up a PPE and supply warehouse operation, and staffing the county’s emergency operations center. They also continue to respond to other emergencies, such as structure fires at a moment’s notice and support the department’s training efforts.

There are approximately 50 active members. Most are Stafford residents, while some live in surrounding jurisdictions. The team meets monthly to train.

Residents may join CERT by going to this webpage and filling out an application.