Bay County CERT Graduates Strengthen Community Emergency Preparedness
Photo by Bay County, Florida EMSCERT participants practice emergency medical response skills during hands-on training scenarios.
Photo by Bay County, Florida EMSTrainees conduct live fire extinguisher operations as part of field day instruction.
Photo by Bay County, Florida EMSCERT members work together in a simulated rescue and debris-removal exercise.
Photo by Bay County, Florida EMSClassroom instruction covers hazard identification and emergency response fundamentals using the Global Harmonized System.
February 4, 2026 — Bay County Emergency Services recognized the successful graduation of 11 community members from the Bay County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, marking another step forward in strengthening local emergency preparedness. The graduates—Cam Neuman, Marcia Cross, Donn Smoker, Christopher Brown, Aaron Gilmore, Ty Thompson, Rebecca Ott, Ryan Meyer, Thomas Herzog, John Holdnak, and Jacob Holmes—completed the free training program last month, which included four evening classroom sessions and a hands-on Saturday field exercise.
The course equipped participants with essential skills to support first responders during emergencies, including traffic control, light search and rescue, staffing the Citizen Information Center, assisting in the Emergency Operations Center, and managing volunteers and donations.
Bay County Emergency Services also extended thanks to the Tyndall Air Force Base Non-Commissioned Officer Academy for assisting with the field training portion of the program. Officials emphasized that CERT graduates play a vital role in enhancing community resilience during disasters and large-scale incidents.
No information from the author.