Question to Ask Supervisor at Budget Town Hall Meetings

The proposed budget recommends the complete elimination of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. CERT is an all-volunteer, award-winning, twenty-one-year-old organization that teaches the public to prepare for, respond to, and recover from everyday emergencies up to large-scale disasters. We provide critically needed services to the public and first responder communities, fostering a safer and more resilient county. Last year alone, CERT volunteers contributed approximately 20,000 hours, valued (according to Fairfax County estimates) at over $1,000,000 – this is almost 30 times the $34,000 cost to retain the program!

The question is whether the Board will take into consideration the tremendous value/return on investment and the essential services that CERT offers to the County compared to its minimal cost, when deciding whether CERT is eliminated.