Hubbardston committee confronts volunteer shortages, CPF conversion and CERT recruitment strategies

Town staff told the emergency management committee that local CERT recruitment is faltering across multiple towns and that hybrid training options and in‑person outreach are being tried to rebuild membership.

The director reported that neighboring towns are combining CERT programs and that attendance at past workshops ranged from about 36–37 people but recent recruitment has been weak. “You really do have to be a little on the bold side,” she said about in‑person outreach, noting creative tactics used elsewhere to get volunteers engaged.

The committee also discussed converting the town’s trailer into a mobile communications center. The director said Brian Williams, a teacher, has offered his class to perform the build‑out; members noted one town reported an outside company conversion cost of about $10,000. The committee emphasized the trailer should remain serviceable for community uses such as vaccination clinics and be equipped with counter space, shelving and possibly solar power.

On legal agreements, staff reviewed draft memoranda of understanding and Emergency Dispensing Site (EDS) language to secure permission to use the school gymnasium in emergencies. Some members questioned whether regional school authorities (Quabbin) or outside lawyers needed to sign off; staff will follow up.

Next steps: pursue targeted CERT recruitment, arrange the trailer conversion with Brian Williams’ class, finalize MOUs and EDS agreements as needed, and report progress at the next meeting.