Hunters Run Country Club, community's C.E.R.T. leader, Paul Pugliese, prepares his team for the upcoming year.
C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Team) is comprised of member volunteers who receive training from the Boynton Beach Fire & Rescue Department and the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management.
It includes fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. The C.E.R.T. program is under the jurisdiction of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.).
Pugliese notes that over 30 Hunters Run volunteers currently participate in the program. "Each of our volunteers helps ensure we can face emergencies and avoid catastrophes. The key to our success is preparedness. To that end, many of our C.E.R.T. have walkie-talkies to facilitate communication. And at least one of our team can always communicate directly with the fire department.
Commenting on the program, Hunters Run General Manager and Chief Operating Officer Larry Savvides said, “I am very proud to have the C.E.R.T. program at Hunters Run and our C.E.R.T. volunteers who step up to assist others in the community, especially when professional responders are not readily available. Their training also enables them to participate in various related emergency preparedness projects with other response agencies. We owe them a great deal of gratitude."
Pugliese also points out that in addition to its preparedness responsibilities, C.E.R.T. handles crowd control for Hunters Run’s Wellness Walk and the Boynton Beach Barrier Free Park event.