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A TRUE COPY 3ERTIEICATION ON LAST PAGE J.R. SMITH. CLERK Indian River County Facebook page has been refreshed, and a new Twitter account has been created; all with the objective of staying connected with those interested in the CERT program. Enlisting previously trained CERT volunteers is a great kick start to the program's recruiting effort, but it cannot stop there. Program leaders and volunteers will conduct extensive outreach to HOAs and their Boards of Directors, neighborhood Community Watch organizations, SAFER member organizations, 'faith -based groups, youth organizations and schools, and other volunteer community and civic groups interested in emergency preparedness, with presentations and information about the CERT program and its benefits to the community. During the year, CERT members will also set up information display booths at various events in the county to increase program visibility, generate interest in CERT activities, and recruit new trainees. To ensure the program maintains its momentum and retains its volunteer members, the CERT program will include engaging, informative, and fun activities, training, and events designed to prepare CERT volunteers for emergencies and disasters. Perhaps even more importantly, the program's activities will be aimed at challenging CERT members to use the knowledge and skills they learn to create neighborhood -based programs that reach an even larger audience with emergency preparedness and disaster readiness information. In doing so, the CERT program becomes even more meaningful to participants and more valuable to entire community. The program must also be careful not to rely solely on a small number of volunteers, but instead, delegate and decentralize tasks where possible. Our program plans will include recruiting and maintaining a larger pool of volunteer leaders that are cross -trained and willing to step in to leadership roles when needed. This type of volunteer engagement empowers all participants to succeed and helps prevent volunteer burnout and program fatigue. Poor or infrequent communications with participants can quickly derail a program, causing confusion and frustration for volunteers and residents, and contribute to, rather than help to alleviate, dangerous situations during emergencies. Using local print and broadcast media sources, email, and various online social media, CERT of Indian River County will actively promote program activities and keep the community informed about training and special events. The program plans call for regular, frequent contact with volunteers in order to keep them informed, increase a sense of engagement, and to help improve retention of trained volunteers. Summary To sum it up, the CERT of Indian River County program will motivate, empower, and engage the whole community to work together to prepare for disasters and emergencies. The CERT Ambassadors of Preparedness are neighbors helping neighbors promote and increase personal and community emergency readiness and disaster preparedness with tailored neighborhood programs. In doing so, emergency professionals benefit, local support organizations benefit, volunteers benefit, and, most importantly, the whole community benefits from prepared and resilient Indian River County neighborhoods.