December 4, 2006              

LANSING - Terry Decker of Grand Rapids has been selected as the 2006 Michigan Citizen Corps Volunteer of the Year for his work and achievements on behalf of the people of Grand Rapids.  As a member of the West Central Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Decker has trained more than 200 area students in areas such as disaster preparedness, fire safety, first aid skills, and light search and rescue.

The award is given annually by Citizen Corps, an organization that coordinates volunteer activities to make communities safer and better prepared to respond to the threats of crime, terrorism, and disasters.

In the past nine months, Decker has logged more than 500 volunteer hours with CERT.  He handles I.D. badges, training session set-up and tear-down duties, continuing education of CERT members and evaluation of regular CERT classes, as well as Train the Trainer sessions.

"Citizen involvement is crucial if we are to keep our communities safe and well prepared for whatever emergency situation may occur," said Capt. Eddie Washington, commander of the Michigan State Police Emergency Management and Homeland Security Division.   "I commend Terry Decker for his dedication and commitment to his community, and thank him for his hard work."

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