Published June 2, 2022
The Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association awarded Dr. Mark Johnson the Leadership
Award for Emergency Preparedness at its conference on May 17 in Lake Charles. Johnson
is a University of Louisiana Monroe assistant professor of criminal justice and the
training director of the ULM Police Department.
Johnson first led the Campus Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in December
2021 after a delayed launch of the program due to the pandemic. ULM was the first
university in the state of Louisiana to initiate the Campus CERT training. The demand
of staff and faculty who wished to take the training was so high, Johnson scheduled
a second Campus CERT session in April. In total, he taught 88 volunteers.
“People at ULM want to be prepared to help our community when things hit, like floods
and tornadoes. Our people always resoundingly step up to the plate and are there to
help,” he said. “By creating the Campus CERT program, instead of people just showing
up, now we have people who have been certified and trained who show up.”
Campus CERT is funded by FEMA and managed through the Lieutenant Governor’s office
and Volunteer Louisiana. The purpose is to train civilians to assist and lead their
community during emergencies until outside help arrives. The volunteers learned medical
triage, team organization, fire safety, and active shooter Avoid-Deny-Defend situational
techniques. The ULM training was so successful, Johnson introduced Campus CERT to
other universities in the UL System.
Volunteer Louisiana nominated Johnson for the award at the LEPA meeting, where Governor
John Bel Edwards and Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser were the featured speakers.
Multiple emergency preparedness groups attended, including the Department of Homeland
Security, municipal fire departments, and chapters of the American Red Cross.
“No matter the emergency, we’re going to have a safe campus. We’re going to have people
ready. We’re going to make it happen,” he said. “I accepted this award on behalf of
the 88 people at ULM. This is the result of their efforts of stepping up to take care
of our community and university.”
During local and state-wide disasters, ULM often serves as a shelter site. Heather
Mazeitis-Fontenot, disaster services specialist of Volunteer Louisiana, said Johnson
and his volunteers will not only serve people on campus, but also Louisianans from
all walks of life.
“The Campus CERT team is now ready to stand and help the citizens of Louisiana run
a shelter, help with light search and rescue, direct traffic and many other activities
during a hurricane or other emergency,” she said. “Dr. Johnson’s infectious nature
surrounding disaster preparedness is making ULM one of the most prepared campuses
in the state. His training with creating shelters in the event of a storm will have
wide-reaching benefits for all of Louisiana.”
