The Iberia Parish CERT Program (Community Emergency Response Team) held a meeting Wednesday night to update members on current plans and continue to foster readiness through the organization and the team members.

Meeting this month with the CERT Program was meteorologist with the National Weather Service Donald Jones. Jones, a Slidell native and a professional meteorologist, has worked for the National Weather Service for the last 13 years, and has become a familiar face due to his live social media broadcasts during significant weather events.

Year-round, he will be seen when potentially severe weather is present, but his appearances become much more frequent once a potential storm enters or forms in the Gulf of Mexico.

Jones was on hand to brief CERT Team Members on the current forecast for the remainder of the 2022 Hurricane Season, as well as share his past experiences from previous storms that impacted the Lake Charles area, where the station is located. He cautioned that while it has been a slow season, residents in south Louisiana need to remain vigilant as there still exists the possibility of a busy season from this point forward.

“We are glad to have Donald come into Iberia Parish and give us a little of his time,” Mike Wattigny, CERT leadership team member, said. “Obliviously, he comes with a great deal of knowledge, and he is someone that many of us rely on for accurate information. So having him here was a great opportunity to have some informational interaction.”

The CERT program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks. The Iberia Parish Chapter is one of a handful of CERT Programs in Louisiana, and one of the most active. The Iberia Parish CERT Team volunteers for disaster services in conjunction with the Iberia Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

If you are interested in learning more about CERT or possibly becoming a volunteer, you can visit www.ready.gov/cert or contact Zack Mitchell at 337-256-3672.