CERV Middlesex: Make a Difference
CERV Middlesex stands for Community Emergency Response Volunteers, which is a county-wide program to improve safety and security in our communities – large or small, urban or rural. Operating at the grassroots level, CERV Middlesex trains volunteers to help within their own communities by preparing for emergencies based on local risks. CERV volunteers meet the challenge when an emergency strikes, be it a flood, a severe storm, a major power failure or another unexpected hazard.
Should a county-wide emergency situation occur impacting the lives and property of County residents, CERV Middlesex (Community Emergency Response Volunteers) will help to open and operate reception centres, and can provide personal support to individuals and families affected by the emergency. CERV Middlesex volunteer training includes:
- Emergency and disaster response skills
- Volunteer health & safety
- Basic fire safety & prevention
- Emergency First Aid & CPR, including use of a Public Access Defibrillator
- Evacuation Centre operations
- Registration & Inquiry Service training
- Introduction to severe weather
- Personal/family emergency preparedness
- Nonviolent Physical Crisis Intervention
- Safe food handling
- Participation in annual municipal emergency exercises
CERV Middlesex capitalizes on local volunteers’ knowledge of their area, and on the “can-do” spirit and compassion which Ontarians demonstrated during the Ice Storm in 1998, the Blackout in 2003 or the Highway 402 Snow Storm in 2010. By focusing on communities, it allows CERV Team Members to best meet local needs and maximize the potential for quick deployment and efficient and organized response in an emergency.
Middlesex County began training CERV volunteers in 2007; at the same time, the Middlesex-London Health Unit founded the CERV MLHU Team, for volunteers who reside in the City of London. Well-trained CERV Volunteers will be a great help to our County & municipal staff when emergencies strike. CERV Team members also help to promote local emergency preparedness and provide assistance at major community events.
What are the requirements of a CERV Middlesex Volunteer?
- Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age and have a valid Ontario Driver’s License. Access to a vehicle is necessary.
- Volunteers must reside in a Middlesex County community.
- Volunteers will be interviewed, and agree to undergo a criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening.
- Volunteers agree to prepare themselves, their homes and their families for emergencies.
- Volunteers are willing to make a three-year commitment to the program, to assist as volunteers anywhere in Middlesex County during emergencies.
- Volunteers are asked to attend approximately 60 hours of training in the first year, and 30 hours of training per year during the next two years.
- Volunteers understand that CERV Team training will take place in various locations within Middlesex County.
- New CERV Team members are recruited every few years; the next CERV Team recruitment is scheduled for 2023.
Are you interested in making a difference? Visit the CERV Middlesex: Make A Difference for more information and the application.