January 24, 2023
Dear CERT Members:
Happy New Year!
I hope you each had a safe and happy holiday season. As we begin 2023, a quick look back and a look ahead seems in order. In 2022, Montgomery CERT continued to serve our community with the roll out of CERT 700 and multiple missions supporting MCFRS and OEMHS. We conducted hybrid CERT Basic classes, a Teen CERT class, Scene Safety and The Killers, and CPR/AED classes. Our Outreach included a well-attended Storm Camp event, and numerous outreach activities in the county. MoCo CERT also assisted the National Capital Region CERT Consortium in the planning and presentation of CERT CON 2022. At our annual Holiday Party in December we presented a Lifetime Achievement award to Kathee Henning for her service to the CERT program over the years, and presented Brett Wernick with the CERT of the Year Honor for 2022.
2023 promises to be very busy, and I urge all CERTs to attend our February General Meeting on February 9th at PSHQ (1900 HRS). Division Chief Michael Kelley will be our speaker and will preside over the presentation of Length of Service Awards, and special awards to a number of CERTS who have done extraordinary work over the years. Our Length of Service Awards mark 5, 10, and 15 years of active CERT participation.
We are pleased to announce registration is open for CERT Basic 23-01 beginning on Wednesday, March 1st and wrapping up on April 1st. Information and the registration link are here on the website. Our March General Meeting speaker will be Officer Scott Zimmerman of MCP with an Active Shooter presentation. The Montgomery County CERT annual volunteer officer election is in April, please monitor CERVIS for information on nominations.
Lastly , with sadness we share news of the passing of CERT Instructor, Wheaton Volunteer Recue Squad Life Member, and retired District of Columbia Battalion Chief Mitchell Molenof. Mitch passed away on January 10, 2023. We remember him with affection, and extend our best wishes to his family.
Greg St. James
Greg St. James
CERT Program Manager
Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
PSHQ 2nd Floor
100 Edison Park Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
240-777-2407
Greg.St.James@montgomerycountymd.gov