CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, far left, and Gov. Kim Reynolds, far right, present the Governor’s Volunteer Award to Marshall County CERT members Kim Elder, Brian Krumm, Randy Waltemeyer and Scott Potter during a ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.

DES MOINES — Earlier this week, Gov. Kim Reynolds awarded the Marshall County CERT — Community Emergency Response Team — with a Governor’s Volunteer Award, which recognizes various Iowa volunteers and their selfless contributions to their communities. Along with Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, Reynolds presented the certificate to Marshall County Emergency Management Director Kim Elder, CERT Communications Chief Brian Krumm, Vice President Randy Waltemeyer and team member Scott Potter on Tuesday in Des Moines.

Elder nominated her team for the award as recent years have proven to be particularly challenging in light of COVID-19, the 2020 derecho and an EF-3 tornado that ripped through Marshalltown in 2018. While local police and firefighters have had their hands full with such incidents in the past, members of the CERT team have been working alongside them to provide additional services where they can help.

“CERT members are not necessarily first responders, but we fall under the emergency management umbrella,” Elder said. “Our purpose is to bridge the gap between untrained citizens and first responders.”

In practice, CERT responders are generally called in after an emergency or disaster has occurred to provide extra services — such as directing traffic or disbursing supplies — where police and firefighters cannot help due to more urgent matters at hand.

“We are an extra resource for the first responders,” Elder said. “For example, we don’t want to use our law enforcement to direct citizens or traffic if they can be doing something else, and that goes for firefighters too.”

Elder also noted that she nominated her team simply to acknowledge how much they are appreciated and valued in the Marshall County community, including two members who have unfortunately passed but will always be remembered and recognized for their volunteering contributions.

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Contact Andrew Ubben at 641-753-6611 or

aubben@timesrepublican.com.