-This article appears in the Nov/Dec 2020 edition of the Pleasant Hill Outlook.

This is the second in a series of articles introducing Pleasant Hill’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Area Coordinators. Pleasant Hill CERT divides the city into four Areas: Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast
(maps are available at https://pleasanthillcert.org/maps/).

In the last issue, we met CERT NE Area Coordinator, Sherry Cartmill. Continuing our introduction of the area coordinators, say “Hi” to Carol Reade, our SE coordinator and one of our busiest volunteers.

Welcome, Carol!

Q: What positions do you hold with PH CERT?

Carol: I am the SE Area Coordinator, Steering Committee Administration Chair, and Pleasant Hill Community Emergency Response Team Foundation Secretary.

Q: Sounds like you’re pretty busy in CERT! How long have you been with the organization? How long have you been an area coordinator?

Carol: I’ve been in CERT for over 10 years and a coordinator for almost 9 years.

Q: What are your duties as an area coordinator?

Carol: A few of my duties are:

  • Keep a current annotated area roster, with response/participation availability, skills, and equipment for the area
  • Schedule and conduct regular (approximately monthly) area meetings and occasional area-specific training.
  • Keep an inventory of the equipment and supplies for the SE Area.
  • Share PH CERT and other relevant information with area volunteers.
  • Enlist area members to participate in City and County events, e.g., the County-wide communication exercise, National Night Out, building the area’s building hazard survey to be entered into the City’s GIS system.

Q: What is your favorite part of the job and why?

Carol: Learning from other SE Area CERT members and getting to know people whom I would not ordinarily meet/know. I like to learn from others and meet people with different perspectives and personalities. The PH CERT SE Area has a great group of about 10 – 12 core members who all offer different skills and perspectives. Our meetings have a very positive vibe with most people contributing to the discussion. Not everyone attends all meetings.

Q: How are you handling the pandemic and lockdown? How does it affect your work for your CERT area?

Carol: Work has really slowed. I would have liked to have scheduled a Zoom meeting(s) but have not scheduled one yet. I have worked via email with Gordon Doughty on the materials he is developing for some future training.

Q: Any parting words?

Carol: I have enjoyed working with my fellow coordinators and with the Steering Committee members. Jim Bonato deserves big thanks for starting the program and keeping it going. Being a member of CERT has given me a better view of and desire to be involved with my community.

Q: Tell us your big dream: what would make your CERT area soar to great heights?

Carol: That’s a tough one. I’d like to see more participation and interest, but it’s hard for people to change their priorities. We could do regular area-wide exercises to simulate a response and keep our skills up-to-date. We have discussed this exercise several times and will most likely schedule one after a future PH CERT all-area exercise.

We could also hold an “open house” at the area’s storage container to familiarize area members with what is available. We held one a few years ago, and a few PH City Council members and PH Recreation and Park board members attended, along with some SE Area CERT members. We would like to hold another open house. Maybe if we had more area-wide exercises, our volunteers would have more interest in what equipment and supplies are stocked.

I also hope for more leadership types in the area. Like any volunteer organization, we have a lot of capable and enthusiastic followers, but few leaders!