By Jan Bishop

Sammamish Citizen Corps

Maybe you’ve seen them, in tan shirts embroidered with Sammamish Citizen Corps and wondered, “who are these people?”

Or, maybe you spotted a green vest labeled CERT, worn by someone with a hand-held radio and thought breath mint samples were imminent.

The folks in those shirts and vests are used to all sorts of questions about who they are and are more than happy to help enlighten the curious.

No, they don’t usually have free mints, but they do help reunite a lost parent with their child, provide a bandage for a small ‘ouch’, offer training in how to prepare for earthquakes, and conduct programs for neighbors who want to learn how to help each other after disasters.

They’re the volunteers of the Sammamish Citizen Corps Council and one of their most prominent service groups, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Founded in 2003, the Sammamish Citizen Corps Council is a registered nonprofit, community-based, 100 percent volunteer organization.

It is nationally chartered through the Department of Homeland Security to provide a framework for connecting citizens, officials, business leaders, and schools through programs in community awareness, response training, and volunteer service.

“We are all Sammamish residents who enjoy participating in the great activities and events our community offers,” says Kent Kiernan, Sammamish Citizen Corps Council President. “But beyond that, we want to help keep our neighborhoods as safe and prepared as possible in the event of disasters or extreme weather events. We do that by offering safety and emergency preparedness training to volunteers, supporting Eastside Fire and Rescue and the City with communications and other services, and planning and drilling so we’re ready.”

Some of the activities and venues where you’ll find Sammamish Citizen Corps Council members and CERT volunteers include Concerts in the Park, Nightmare at Beaver Lake, and Fourth on the Plateau, where they provide radio and logistical support for “lost parents,” along with simple first aid support.

They also host the Sammamish Disaster Preparedness Series, a series of free seminars during September, National Preparedness Month, focused on helping the community prepare for natural and man-made disasters.

The Corps is also kept active with CERT training, an initial 8-week course, and refresher training for Sammamish volunteers who want to learn how to prepare their families and neighborhoods to be self-sufficient and be of support to the community following a disaster.

Over 300 volunteers have graduated from the Sammamish program.

In the Map Your Neighborhood, (MYN) program, Sammamish Citizen Corps offers free workshops for neighbors interested in learning how to prepare for disasters and support each other after an event.

Sammamish Citizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal responsibility to be prepared, to get training in first aid and emergency skills, and to volunteer to support local emergency responders, disaster relief, and community safety.

For more information, visit their website at www.sammamishcitizencorps.org, or contact them at sammamishcitizencorps@hotmail.com if you’d like a personal response to your question.