Disaster / emergency relief team (DERT) volunteers are 'disciples in disaster' who respond to crisis situations locally and elsewhere.  Beach United Methodist's DERT was founded in September 2005, in response to Hurricane Katrina.  Since then DERT has been or is currently involved in the following:

• participated in training as emergency responders in local situations through the FEMA-funded Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) program
• hosted United Methodist Committee on Relief's (UMCOR) early response training for those responding to disasters
• organized and sent multiple mission trips to the Gulf Coast region for Hurricane Katrina clean up and rebuilding
• organized and donated flood buckets for UMCOR