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MERT (Masonic Emergency Response Team)

Winter

Premium Member
How would a MERT differ from a CERT?

What would be the justification be for having a separate entity?

Who would be the credentialing agency or responsible for certification?

Why wouldn't you just encourage members to participate and be active with local CERT?

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Hancock

Registered User
Winter, these are excellent points, and ordinarily CERT should be sponsored by the county's Office of Emergency Management; that is the best approach.



I live in Flint, Michigan. If you are aware of the water situation here, it makes it easier to understand the politics involved. In the last 6 years, in an attempt to start a CERT, I have met with two mayors, three police chiefs, a fire chief, the city manager and three county emergency managers. All but two of these have resigned or been fired. The mayor who supported CERT was not reelected.



It wasn't like I was some random citizen off the street making the proposal. I was well known as the captain of the police auxiliary (which I founded) and the Red Cross commo chief for 11 counties, and have extensive training in disaster response. To put it bluntly, CERT is unlikly to be implemented in this county anytime soon. I trust this answers your questions about having separate entities. There wouldn't be.
 

Winter

Premium Member
Sorry you are encountering so many roadblocks to starting a CERT program in your area. We have them here in FL and they are very active. I just don't know that creating a Masonic version would work. It seems like it would be outside our lane. Though it does raise an interesting idea in my mind. A written plan of action to take care of our Brothers during a disaster. Who to contact, how o find each other to check on safety after the event. A planning program to make sure Brothers and their families have supplies to be prepared for an event. And so on.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
Sorry you are encountering so many roadblocks to starting a CERT program in your area. We have them here in FL and they are very active. I just don't know that creating a Masonic version would work. It seems like it would be outside our lane. Though it does raise an interesting idea in my mind. A written plan of action to take care of our Brothers during a disaster. Who to contact, how o find each other to check on safety after the event. A planning program to make sure Brothers and their families have supplies to be prepared for an event. And so on.
Disaster, crisis or anything else like that, I've seen 'brothers' really let others Masons/family of Masons down in that regard.
 

Winter

Premium Member
Disaster, crisis or anything else like that, I've seen 'brothers' really let others Masons/family of Masons down in that regard.

You are absolutely right. We don't have the close knit community that we should among our Lodge Brothers. Instituting a disaster preparedness program in our Lodges might be an excellent way to help correct that.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
You are absolutely right. We don't have the close knit community that we should among our Lodge Brothers. Instituting a disaster preparedness program in our Lodges might be an excellent way to help correct that.
Yeah, sending a card doesn't always cut it...I've seen that.
 

Winter

Premium Member
Yeah, sending a card doesn't always cut it...I've seen that.

I've said that for years. If there is a Brother on the rolls that lives in the jurisdiction of the Lodge that you've never met, we're not doing it right.

Back to the MERT idea the OP posted. The Lodge could institute a plan to stockpile water, and first aid supplies. Maybe cots or other essential items always needed after an event. It could be a fundraising or donation focus for members of the Lodge. Just spitballing here.
 

CLewey44

Registered User
That'd be a great idea.
I've said that for years. If there is a Brother on the rolls that lives in the jurisdiction of the Lodge that you've never met, we're not doing it right.

Back to the MERT idea the OP posted. The Lodge could institute a plan to stockpile water, and first aid supplies. Maybe cots or other essential items always needed after an event. It could be a fundraising or donation focus for members of the Lodge. Just spitballing here.

Every area has their set of weather/natural disasters. As for emotional crisis, I'm sure there are Brothers in every district that would be willing and able to (whether thru training or experience) to help brothers in emotional crisis as well. Have a team of 5 or 10 brothers that could be called on notice if someone experiences loss.
 

Winter

Premium Member
That'd be a great idea.
Every area has their set of weather/natural disasters. As for emotional crisis, I'm sure there are Brothers in every district that would be willing and able to (whether thru training or experience) to help brothers in emotional crisis as well. Have a team of 5 or 10 brothers that could be called on notice if someone experiences loss.
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Like a Masonic Critical Incident Stress Debrief [CISD] team. Not a bad idea.
 

Winter

Premium Member
The link below will give you an idea of what our brothers in California are doing with MERT.
I would think that if this program were more widely implemented, it would help to bring more young men into the lodges, and help give the public a more favorable opinion of Freemasonry.
Opinions?
https://m.facebook.com/masonicemergencyresponseteam/

It is definitely an interesting concept. I am a big fan of disaster preparedness in whatever form it takes. I have been involved in several incidents and was only just recently working in the Florida Panhandle doing disaster assessment after Hurricane Michael for FEMA. I'm looking over their website and they talk about sending out MERT start up kits. I'm curious what they are sending out. And according to their about page, it looks like they are a CERT team just with the members being Masons.
 
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