What it costs
Change the numbers to fit your county. The starting point is Avery County’s first-year plan, line by line.
3,000 hours at $33.01 an hour (Independent Sector’s NC value). For a grant match such as EMPG, value hours at local wages for similar work instead (2 CFR 200.306).
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Personnel | $38,500 |
| Coordinator, 0.4 FTE832 hours at a loaded $38.46/hr | $32,000 |
| Instructor stipends3 classes × 2 instructors × 24 hrs @ $45 | $6,500 |
| Training and credentialing | $17,100 |
| Instructor certification (Train-the-Trainer)4 people; course free, travel and per diem | $3,400 |
| Program Manager course2 people; course free, travel and per diem | $1,700 |
| CPR/AED certification60 members @ $45 | $2,700 |
| Background and registry checks75 @ $50 | $3,750 |
| Participant manuals and field guides75 @ $22 | $1,650 |
| Disaster simulations3 @ $900 | $2,700 |
| State CERT training day and forum4 people, travel | $1,200 |
| Personal equipment | $14,625 |
| Member protective kits75 @ $195 | $14,625 |
| Communications | $15,375 |
| GMRS handheld radios75 @ $85 | $6,375 |
| Base and mobile stations6 @ $650 — 5 community sites plus the EOC | $3,900 |
| Antennas, coax, mounts, power supplies | $2,200 |
| Portable satellite terminals2 units plus 12 months of service | $2,400 |
| Licensing, programming, net documentation | $500 |
| Response cache | $30,000 |
| Enclosed cargo trailer, shelved and outfitted7×14 | $12,500 |
| Cache contentsCribbing, hand tools, litters, medical, lighting, generator, water | $11,000 |
| Debris-clearing kitSaws, full protective gear, competency training | $6,500 |
| Program operations | $10,700 |
| Liability and accident coveragePlaceholder until your risk manager decides | $3,500 |
| Volunteer management softwareRoster, hours, credentials | $1,200 |
| Recruitment and outreachBilingual materials | $2,500 |
| Volunteer mileage and travel | $2,000 |
| Meeting space, drill support, refreshments | $1,500 |
| First-year total | $126,300 |
Each year after
| Coordinator | $32,000 |
| Instructor stipends | $6,500 |
| New member protective kits | $4,875 |
| Background checks for new members | $1,250 |
| CPR/AED recertification | $1,125 |
| Exercises and drills | $2,700 |
| Cache replenishment and radio maintenance | $2,500 |
| Insurance and software | $4,700 |
| Yearly total | $55,650 |
Joining a regional effort costs less
When a county joins neighbors that have already built the training, radio plan and equipment specifications, the first year comes down to about $82,000 in Avery’s estimate — roughly 35% less:
| Line | Amount | Why it’s lower |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinator, 0.25 FTE (shared regional support) | $20,000 | A regional program manager carries governance across counties |
| Instructor stipends | $6,500 | Instructors already trained — no Train-the-Trainer travel |
| Member protective kits, 60 | $11,700 | Joint purchasing |
| Communications | $13,000 | Regional radio plan already designed |
| Cache and trailer | $19,800 | Specification already built; joint purchase |
| Credentialing, manuals, exercises | $6,000 | Exercises and curriculum already produced |
| Program operations | $5,000 | Shared software and outreach materials |
| Per county | $82,000 |
What isn’t in these numbers
- A vehicle to tow the trailer (assumed county fleet)
- Storage for the cache (assumed donated or county space)
- The convening nonprofit’s staff time (in kind)
The training itself is free — FEMA and the state provide the courses. Avery’s total sits close to the best published comparable, Carson City, Nevada’s approved CERT budget of $118,090.
Talk it through with us
We’re a few steps ahead and glad to share what we’ve learned — or to bring your county into a regional class or instructor cohort.
Contact us