LONDONDERRY — Members of Londonderry's emergency response team are hoping to recruit a few volunteers in time for next month's presidential election.

On Thursday evening, around 16 members of A Londonderry Emergency Response Team (ALERT) gathered at the Londonderry Police station for an open house.

Team spokeswoman Colleen Monks said the event was part of the organization's public outreach efforts to enlist more men and women.

There are approximately 45 ALERT members, though with day jobs and family obligations, not every volunteer is available for every instance of need. Monks said she'd be very pleased if Thursday's event piques the interest of a handful of new volunteers.

Team member Remi Fortin was somewhat more optimistic.

“I'd love it if ten more people signed on,” said Fortin as he gave tours of the team's communications trailer parked outside.

A volunteer for the past several years, Fortin said his wife, Pauline, eventually decided to join the team after a winter storm.

“I was spending a lot of time at the emergency shelter, and she wanted to come too,” he said with a laugh.

Some of ALERT's previous work has included assisting at the scenes of fires and accidents, directing traffic during town events and at the election polls, helping locate adults and children lost in the woods and helping to staff emergency shelters set up inside the high school gymnasium during severe storms and prolonged power outages.

ALERT was deployed twice last year, during the October blackout and during a late winter snowstorm.

Though the organization doesn't self-deploy, members are encouraged to be ready at any time they might be called into service by the police and fire departments or by state Fish and Game officials.

In early September, 10 ALERT members manned the parking lot during local primary at Londonderry High School.

Monks said it made for a busy day, especially since schools remained open and several athletic events were going on at the same time.

Though school will be closed on election day next month, Monks said she anticipates a busy day for all, and noted it might be nice to have a few more pairs of helping hands.

“It can get a bit crazy,” she said.

Volunteers must be 18 or older and are asked to make a yearly commitment of approximately 45 hours for training and regular meetings, as well as emergency assistance.

All volunteers are provided with free training through ALERT staff and other certified instructors. Among the topics typically covered are CPR and first aid, proper map and compass use and emergency radio communications.

For more information on ALERT, or to inquire about current volunteer opportunities, visit www.londonderryalert.org.

aguilmet@newstote.com