Emergency response crew in Faribault put out their own call for help while helping others

When the rains came down and floods came up in Faribault, Minn., members of the Rice County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) stepped in to help their neighbors in need.

In recent weeks they have hauled furniture out of flooded basements, pushed water out of garages, filled sandbags and then delivered them to those working on the front line. In one case, team members stopped by the home of an 80-year-old widow to remove carpet damaged when water inundated her basement, a job she could not have done herself.

“In the Midwest, we are self-sufficient people and we tend not to ask for help,” said Dustin Dienst, Faribault’s fire chief and CERT team manager. “It’s very satisfying work to fill that role. It means everything to them.”

CERT teams are more than just average do-gooders who roll up their sleeves and pitch in when disaster strikes. Members are retired law enforcement officers, firefighters, nurses and military personnel who still want to help, but membership is open to anybody, Dienst said.

Team members are trained with a curriculum developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) covering topics such as search and rescue, fire safety, medical operations, terrorism awareness and team organization. The uniform training allows professional responders to rely on volunteers when disasters strike, especially when trained citizens are the first to arrive at a scene, Dienst said.

CERT team members can also free up professionals to address more complex tasks.

CERT is a nationwide initiative that in Minnesota falls under the direction of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Cities and counties run teams all across the state.

Rice County has had a CERT team for about eight years, and it’s come in handy. CERT members used chainsaws to clear away fallen trees and debris in 2018 after a tornado struck the town.

Over the years, members have also directed traffic when communities host fireworks or benefit walks and runs requiring intersections to be shut down. They also have been called in to help search for missing children, and in cases of flooding, direct people to shelters and lead sandbagging efforts, Dienst said.

“They truly are a resource for professional responders, “Dienst said.

And a godsend for city and county budgets, too. Without volunteers, “we’d be paying them (law enforcement and firefighters) overtime,” Dienst said.

Rice County, just south of the Twin Cities, has about 30 CERT members. The flooding this spring stretched the ranks thin as many team members are dealing with flooded or wet basements of their own. That has Dienst putting out the call for more people to join the team.

“We never have enough people,” Dienst said. “Benefit yourself on how to be prepared, and be available when needed.”