BUCCANEER CERT, A COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM, is comprised of trained volunteers who provide a vital service to their community. CERT members receive special training from the North Fort Myers Fire Department that enhances their ability to prepare for, respond to, recover from and mitigate against a major emergency or disaster situation.

THE BUCCANEER TEAM, currently consisting of 40 members, are trained in: Disaster Preparedness, Fire Safety, Disaster Medical Operations-Triage and Treating Life Threatening Injuries, Medical Assessment, Treatment and Hygiene, Light Search & Rescue, Team Organization and Disaster Psychology, Terrorism and CERT.

CERT MEMBERS need to maintain their emergency kits and their Personal Protective Equipment in a READY state. The Team can be activated in any disaster situation that the North Fort Myers Fire Department deems necessary,

THE MISSION OF CERT is to provide leadership and immediate assistance during neighborhood emergencies and to assist first responders once they arrive on the scene. Lee County CERT members have also been asked to perform the following additional missions where possible:

1. Assist in educating local citizens in the role of CERT before and during emergency situations.
2. Adopt public emergency shelters within he communities to assist with the operations of
shelters when opened.
3. Assist in operating relief centers in their neighborhoods following a disaster.

ALTHOUGH BUCCANEER CERT was the first team to be trained by North Fort Myers Fire Chief, Terry Pye, in 2001 after 9/11, there are now 17 CERT teams in our fire district, with approximately 400 members and more teams forming. Under the direction of Marie Hagan, our fire district's Public Education Officer, the teams have formed the North Fort Myers CERT Chapter, of which Ms. Hagan and Buccaneer CERT leader, Jeanne Basak are CO-Coordinators.

IN THE FALL OF 2005, several of our CERT members, along with Lee County Fire Departments, participated in two Lee County drills. One was a bio-chemical drill held at the Lee Civic Center, the other was a Weapons of Mass Destruction drill held at the Sports Complex, where team members portrayed injured victims and were transported to 3 area hospitals.

MANY OF OUR CERT MEMBERS have also trained in shelter management through Lee County Emergency Operations Center; and during Hurricane Charley in 2004 and during Hurricane Wilma in 2005, manned 3 shelters in North Fort Myers. Upon returning to their communities after the hurricanes, members conducted structural markings on residences for the Fire Department. For more information regarding training in shelter management, please contact Jeanne Basak, Shelter Operations Manager via e-mail below.

BUCCANEER ESTATES has two defibrillators, which are placed in the two recreation halls in the community. Several members are trained in CPR/AED and are prepared to assist if needed.