NEW YORK—New York City’s recovery from Sandy was helped tremendously by the efforts of countless and often unnamed individuals who went out of their way to help those in need. After the storm’s fury subsided, thousands of formal and informal volunteers pitched in to help sustain, supply, clothe, clean, and repair New York and New Yorkers.
While some volunteerism was officially arranged and managed by the city, the Red Cross, and other organizations, countless people simply lent a helping hand out of personal initiative or via loosely organized community efforts.
Among officially managed efforts, the city’s Office of Emergency Management’s (OEM) Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) had 1,500 volunteers all over the city. The CERT teams are comprised of groups of community-based volunteers who are trained in both disaster preparedness and emergency response. They undergo a 10-week training program that allows them to support first responders.
Despite their numbers during Sandy, it became apparent that many high-risk neighborhoods don’t have enough, or any, CERT volunteers. An effort is now underway to add to the more than 50 existing CERT teams.
More information about New York City’s CERT program is available by calling 718-422-8585 or at NYC.gov/cert.
