Mart High School Teen Group Receives 2015 FEMA Community Preparedness Honorable Mention Awards

DENTON, Texas – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has recognized the members of the Mart High School Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for their accomplishments in responding to and preparing their community for emergencies. The group received honorable mentions in two categories of the 2015 FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness Awards: Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness and Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team.

Among the group’s accomplishments:

• The Mart High School Teen CERT program has certified 20 students in disaster preparedness and advanced medical training.

• The team assists with fire and weather drills conducted at the school.

• The Mart High School Teen Cert team is part of the city’s emergency disaster plan.

• The team trains with paramedics from Limestone Medical Center and facilitates the group providing career information for high school students.

• Certified students are able to assist in emergencies before nearby Emergency Medical Services arrive.

Each year, FEMA’s Individual and Community Preparedness Division recognizes the preparedness efforts of organizations around the country. This year 138 organizations applied for recognition. There were 11 award winners and 37 honorable mentions.

The categories are:  

• Outstanding Citizen Corps Council Award

• Community Preparedness Heroes

• Awareness to Action 

• Technological Innovation

• Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness

• Preparing the Whole Community

• Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team Initiatives

• Outstanding Citizen Corps Partner Program

• Excellence in Volunteer Sustainability

Several other groups in Texas and Louisiana received recognition and awards as well:

• Arlington (Texas) Christian Disaster Networks received an honorable mention in the category of Excellence in Volunteer Sustainability.

• New Orleans Medical Reserve Corps won the award for Outstanding Citizen Corps Program.

• The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority of Louisiana received an honorable mention in the category of Technological Innovations.

Visit www.ready.gov/citizen-corps/citizen-corps-awards for more information on this year’s award recipients and honorable mentions.

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FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards. 

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