Chatham Emergency Management Agency

Promote Emergency Management Principles across the whole community. 

 

Make Chatham County Disaster Resilient. 

Commitment, Professionalism, Dependability, Accountability

 

One of the most basic and fundamental responsibilities of government is to provide for the safety and welfare of its citizens before, during and after major emergencies and disasters. Therefore, an effective County-wide emergency Management Program should always remain as one of the highest priorities of elected and appointed officials at all levels. However individual citizens must also accept personal responsibility within their own means and abilities to be constantly aware of risk and always prepared to take protective actions when necessary for their own safety as well as that of their families, friends and property.

There are several different ways that you can get involved with CEMA and help make the Chatham County community more resilient. There are three primary teams that make up our Volunteer Workforce: Community Emergency Response Team Training Coordinators, Search and Rescue Team, and CEMA's Public Outreach Team! If any of these teams interest you, please consider filling out a Volunteer Application . We are always accepting new volunteers and we look forward to getting to know you! 

 

CERT Instructor and Support Team- Our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training program is a free course for Chatham County residents interested in emergency preparedness. We teach CERT at least twice a year and are always looking for volunteers to help make the experience fantastic! To be a CERT Instructor, you must first take the CERT course. Learn More

 

Public Outreach (and Emergency Operations Support) Team- Individuals on this team will have the opportunity to attend community presentations and outreach events, including the annual Chatham County Hurricane Conference. In addition, we are also starting two new initiatives: "You Are the Help Until Help Arrives" and the American Red Cross Pillowcase Project. Both initiatives involve direct outreach to Chatham County residents. Volunteers on this team will also have the chance to participate in the Emergency Operations Center during a phone operations activation. With the amount of natural disasters impacting our area lately, this is a very active group that will surely allow you to make a direct impact on the residents of Chatham County. 

 

If you are interested in knowing more about how you can get involved, please do not hesitate to contact Chelsea Sawyer, CEMA's Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator.