Well, CERT members, it’s been quite a year, hasn’t it!
Many of us have helped with everything from setting up drive-through covid testing to assisting with vaccines. We’ve come full circle in the last year and still did many of our regular activities on top of everything else. It’s good to have some sense of normalcy back.
After the previously scheduled CERT 2020 conference was canceled due to Covid, Cert 2021 is just around the corner.
While you’re on Facebook we’d love to have you join our page Red Sky Ready. We noticed a lack of websites dedicated to helping volunteers. Our goal here at Red Sky Ready is to help with both disaster preparation and response. We’re pretty new but rapidly expanding our content. The CERT community is the very type of community we would love to be a resource for!
The Pre-Conference is the 12th-14th and is already SOLD OUT!
The Main Conference is the 15th-17th
Currently, 350 out of 400 open spots are filled.
The event will take place at the Oasis Hotel:
2546 N Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65803
For the full official schedule, registration, and more information click here.
2021 National CERT Conference Schedule
Pre-Conference (Sold Out)
July 12th
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Train the Trainer
- Building a Roadmap to Resilience: A Whole Community Training
July 13th
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Train the Trainer
- Building a Roadmap to Resilience
- CERT Program Manager
July 14th
8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Train the Trainer
- Building a Roadmap to Resilience
- CERT Program Manager
- Management of Spontaneous Volunteers
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Welcome Reception
Main Conference
July 15th
8:00 AM to 10:30 AM
- Opening Welcoming Session
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
- Conference Group Photo and Exhibitor Time
11:30 AM to 1:00 PM
- Lunch
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
- Organizing a Point of Distribution (POD)
- Animal Response and Cert
- Developing and Organizing Your CERT team to the Max
- Spontaneous Volunteers Lessons Learned in Argentina and Chile
- Cyber Security and Your Safety
- Hybrid CERT 2021 Update
- Taking Care of the Caretaker
3:00 PM to 4:30 PM
- Amateur Radio and Its Importance to CERT
- Peer Support for CERT Team
- The Cavalry is NOT coming!
- Firefighter Rehab
- State CERT Associations
- Partnership Within
- Volunteers, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
July 16th
8:00 AM to 9:30 PM
- Lost Person Behavior
10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
- Search and Rescue
- Youth In CERT
- Stop the Bleed
- Moulage, Bringing Exercises to Life
- Disasterville Part 1
- CERT Tools for Leadership Success Part 1
- “Enhancing the Culture and Future of Youth Preparedness through Partnerships with MyPI National and MyPI Missouri”
11:30 AM to 12:00 PM
- Vendor and Sponsor
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
- AWARDS Ceremony and Lunch
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
- Disasterville Part 2
- Adaptation of CERT
- Earthquake Preparedness and Response
- Moulage, Bringing the Exercise to Life
- Maintaining and Revitalizing your CERT Program
- CERT Tools for Leadership Success
- Adapting CERT Models to the Ever-Changing Needs of Emergency Management
2:30* PM to 5:00 PM
- Exercise “Out of the Box”
6:00 PM 7:00 PM
- National CERT Association Meeting
*2:30 PM is the correct time. It’s listed as 2:00 on the event website.
July 17th
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
- Responding to Our Most Vulnerable Population
- Keeping Safe When Responding to Hazardous Gas and Electric Disasters
- CERT Regionalization
- Virtual Emergency Response
- Spontaneous Volunteers: Lessons Learned in Argentina and Chili
10:00 AM to 10:30 AM
- Break and Vendor Time
10:30 AM to 11:30 AM
- Exercise Awards and Recognition
11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
- Closing Plenary Session, Lunch, Door Prizes
In your free time, you’ll want to be sure to check out some of the exhibitors. It looks like an impressive lineup, and includes our local Springfield native non-profit Convoy of Hope. Other exhibitors include ProPac, IAEM, MOEMA, Team Rubicon, CERT Ministry and several more! http://44mf76.attendify.io/#
While you’re in town, why not check out some of the local attractions?
Local Attractions
BASS PRO SHOP
Springfield, Missouri is the birthplace of many great places, including Bass Pro Shops. There is an extensive selection of outdoor clothing and gear, a replica of the original store, a NASCAR area with over a dozen race cars, and an archery hall of fame. These areas have free admission. Right next door is their outlet store, home to a lot of discounts and great deals!
Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium
Located inside the Bass Pro Shop is the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium. The aquariums, animals, and design are all incredible and well worth the trip!
1984 Arcade
If you’re after a bit of nostalgia, check out the 1984 video arcade! One entrance fee ($10) will cover the cost for unlimited plays on their arcade games. They’re guaranteed to have the classics you love and many unique games you can try for the first time!
For a few extra quarters, you can try your hand at over 10 different pinball machines.
1984 is in the downtown region of Springfield with many restaurants and other activities in the area. They’re open late so this makes for a perfect evening activity.
World’s largest fork
If you’re looking for something unique and out of the ordinary, check out the world’s largest fork! How many of your friends have seen the world’s largest fork?
Fantastic Caverns
If you’ve ever wished you could drive through a cave, now’s your chance! Located just north of Springfield, here’s another unique opportunity you don’t have anywhere else in North America.
Parks
Springfield is also home to some incredible park systems!
The Nathaniel Greene nature center is a beautiful area to stroll through with trails branching off in either direction. You’re sure to see a variety of plants with dozens of gardens scattered throughout. They also have a small butterfly house that’s free to the public during the butterfly season.
Sequiota Park has a couple of small caves with a spring running out of one of them.
The Frisco Highline Trail is a rails to trails project that snakes from Springfield up to Bolivar.
Lake Springfield is another good place for a walk or to toss a kayak in. You can rent them at the boathouse by the hour.
EAT
HuHot Mongolian Grill
Located inside the Battlefield Mall, this is a great place to make some great (or terrible) food. The good news is it’s a buffet so if you mess up your first plate you can always try again!
Lamberts
Home of the throwed rolls
This is a popular tourist attraction and has a great variety of options to sample! They’re famous for throwing rolls at their guests- sometimes the guests even catch them!
Pizza Ranch
Also in the Battlefield Mall, this is a great option if you’re looking for pizza with a side of real meat. They’ll have several different pizzas as well as fried chicken, and mashed potatoes, and gravy.
Smith’s
This is another local favorite for some good fried dishes and southern-style cooking! They have a location just off Highway 13 near Bolivar.
Springfield-style Cashew Chicken
Bass Pro Shops and the world’s largest fork aren’t Springfield’s only claim to fame! It is also the birthplace of Springfield-style cashew chicken. Wing Yin (David) Leong created the cashew chicken in the 1960s. You can pick this dish up at Leongs Asian Diner.
Branson MO
For a 30-45 minute drive, you can extend your trip and spend an evening or two in Branson!
Branson is home to a lot of local talent. You’ll find country, bluegrass, gospel, and just about anything in between. I think I just saw Elvis…
If music isn’t your thing, Branson still has you covered with everything from skydiving, go-karts, and mini-golf to real golf. There’s something there for everyone!
Silver Dollar City is right around the corner, as well! Silver Dollar City is home to some of the best roller coasters in the world! And, this theme park is sure to give you a unique blend of life in the Ozarks from a short time ago.
Final Note
I’ll be at the conference and am looking forward to a great week! The local CERT teams are awesome and I’d highly encourage getting to know some of these great volunteers! Let us know what you’re looking forward to in the comments or on Facebook!
See You There!
We’d love to have you on our email list!
- How to Help Someone Who is on Fire
In yet another heart wrenching video a man is seen dousing himself with fuel and then setting himself on fire.… Read more: How to Help Someone Who is on Fire - How To Get Help When 9-1-1 Is Down
Millions of people were unable to call 911 last night due to a multi-state outage. If you can’t call to… Read more: How To Get Help When 9-1-1 Is Down - Does a Solar Eclipse Really Warrant a State of Emergency?
Multiple counties or states have declared a state of emergency for the solar eclipse. Most of them have included a… Read more: Does a Solar Eclipse Really Warrant a State of Emergency? - Tornado Outbreak in Florida
Multiple tornadoes were reported to the National Weather Service in Florida on Monday night into Tuesday morning. Panama City and… Read more: Tornado Outbreak in Florida - Morocco Quake: Death Toll Quickly Surges Over 1,000
A powerful 6.8 earthquake struck Morocco Friday just after 11 PM local time. Videos on X (Twitter) show multiple buildings… Read more: Morocco Quake: Death Toll Quickly Surges Over 1,000 - Thursday Tornado Outbreak Leaves City in Ruin
The National Weather Service issued a moderate severe weather outlook (4/5 severity risk) for Thursday including most of Oklahoma, and… Read more: Thursday Tornado Outbreak Leaves City in Ruin