WILLMAR
— Whether it is community events or emergency response, the Willmar Area Community Emergency Response Team is ready to help.
Made up of local residents, the volunteer team has around 100 members who train for both emergency situations and community work.
“We do a lot of training on taking care of your family, taking care of your neighborhood and assisting public safety. Some of the things we cover in our two-day training, we use team-building, disaster preparedness, disaster medical operations and traffic control,”
Kandiyohi County
Emergency Manager Ace Bonnema said.
On Nov. 22, a group of new volunteers joined a training session to learn lifesaving skills, including how to use a fire extinguisher and how to move debris off a trapped victim. Training programs like this help members be prepared in case called upon to assist first responders in an emergency.
The Community Emergency Response Team is trained for other emergency situations, including reunification for incidents at schools, light search and rescue and disaster psychology.
There are also non-emergency calls for assistance — helping with traffic control with community events, for example.
This style of community response program began in Los Angeles and has grown to include other communities. In Kandiyohi County, the team works with law enforcement, local fire departments and emergency medical services partners.
“CERT was developed after the earthquake in Mexico and Los Angeles Fire came up with it. It was such a large impacted area from a disaster that fire and law enforcement can’t get there right away. It’s kind of helping communities to be that first step,” Bonnema said.
When a train derailed in Raymond in 2023, Community Emergency Response Team members were some of the first to arrive as residents were evacuated. According to Bonnema, by the time he arrived on scene, the team members called to assist in the response had already set up a command post and prepared a reunification site.
“There is something for everyone in CERT. If we get called for a missing child, the community always wants to come and help. Our first call is going to be CERT because they have some training and they have been background-checked,” Bonnema said.
The team is open to any volunteers and has no upper limit on membership. According to Bonnema, there are no physical limitations for membership and members are asked to respond only when able. The team meets once a month for additional training, though meetings are not mandatory.
“The only real requirement is this two-day training. After that, your participation level can be anywhere from as much as you want or as little as you want,” Kandiyohi County Emergency Management Deputy Director Jon Gilbertson said.
Levi Jones / West Central Tribune
Members are also able to receive training in specific situations. For instance, if a member wanted to be part of the community’s reunification plan — which would be implemented after a fire or weather disaster or similar emergency — they could attend meetings related to that and be called on when necessary.
“Our roster probably has close to 100 people and around 25 really active ones. All of a sudden, you’ll see someone that you haven’t seen for three years because that is when they’re available,” Bonnema said.
For more information on the Community Emergency Response Team, and their activity in the area, visit the team webpage on the Kandiyohi County website at
kcmn.us.
Levi Jones is the West Central Tribune’s business reporter. After growing up in the Twin Cities, Jones attended Hamline University for journalism and media communications. After graduating in 2020, Jones has worked as a reporter covering anything from sports to politics.
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