I entered the CERT program in 2001, I was number 766 to join the Miami-Dade County Community Emergency Response program.  This program went through up times and down times.  I was the communications commander for many years, in charge of inter-team communications after a disaster (using ham radio).  This gave me a unique position in emergency response and allowed me to meet a lot of interesting people.  The program was transfered to the newly created Department of Homeland Security around 2004, and after a few months that department was shut down.  This left the program unfunded.  Speaking at a CERT conference with the director of the CERT programs around the state of Florida, the reasons for this were implied to me off the record.  While talking to him, I was given permission to get a badge (picture coming soon) that displays my name and title, along with CERT as my department.  I also use this badge for special events, such as the MS-150.

My training with the CERT program included light search and rescue, fire suppression, extracation, triage and basic medical response.  I attended many conferences and training events for the program, and I am looking for pictures from those conferences and training events.  I will add them to the list below as I find them.