Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
Disasternecessities.com carries a full line of CERT products. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom (with CERT Products) and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. A large number of CERT products have been created to aid community organizers in this regard, including emergency 72 hour kits.
About CERT
Introduction
Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and
medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services.
Factors as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will
prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a
moment's notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help
in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.
One also expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members,
fellow employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other.
This was the case following the Mexico City earthquake where untrained,
spontaneous volunteers saved 800 people. However, 100 people lost their lives
while attempting to save others. This is a high price to pay and is
preventable through training.
If we can predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs
following a major disaster, especially if there is no warning as in an
earthquake, and people will spontaneously volunteer, what can government do to
prepare citizens for this eventuality? The anwer is CERT training with offical CERT products.
First, present citizens the facts about what to expect following a major
disaster in terms of immediate services. Second, give the message about their
responsibility for mitigation and preparedness. Third, train them in needed
life saving skills with emphasis on decision making skills, rescuer safety,
and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. Fourth, organize teams so
that they are an extension of first responder services offering immediate help
to victims until professional services arrive. Fifth, equip them with the proper CERT products necessary during a disaster.
Background
The Community Emergency Response Team concept was developed and
implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. The
Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a
major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training
civilians to meet their immediate needs. As a result, the LAFD created the
Disaster Preparedness Division with the purpose of training citizens and
private and government employees.
The training program that LAFD initiated makes good sense and furthers
the process of citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for
disaster. It also increases their ability to safely help themselves, their
family and their neighbors. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
recognizes the importance of preparing citizens. The Emergency Management
Institute (EMI) and the National Fire Academy adopted and expanded the CERT
products believing them applicable to all hazards.
The CERT course will benefit any citizen who takes it. This individual
will be better prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a
disaster. Additionally, if a community wants to supplement its response
capability after a disaster, civilians can be recruited and trained as
neighborhood, business, and government teams that, in essence, will be
auxiliary responders, and can be equiped with the proper Cert Products to give them to tools to deal with these emergencies. These groups can provide immediate assistance to victims
in their area, organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the training,
and collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responders
with prioritization and allocation of resources following a disaster. Since
1993 when this training was made available nationally by FEMA, communities in
28 States and Puerto Rico have conducted CERT training with CERT products.
Starting
We recommend a number of steps to start a CERT: Identify the program
goals that CERT will meet and the resources available to conduct the program
in your area. Gain approval from appointed and elected officials to use CERT
as a means to prepare citizens to care for themselves during a disaster when
services may not be adequate. This is an excellent opportunity for the
government to be proactive in working with its constituency. Identify and
recruit potential participants. Naturals for CERT are community groups,
business and industry workers, and local government workers. Train CERT
instructor cadre Conduct CERT sessions with official CERT products. Conduct refresher training and
exercises with CERTs.
Delivery
The CERT course is delivered in the community by a team of first
responders who have the requisite knowledge and skills to instruct the
sessions. It is suggested that the instructors complete a CERT
Train-the-Trainer (TTT) conducted by their State Training Office for Emergency
Management or the Emergency Management Institute in order to learn the
training techniques that are used successfully by the LAFD.
The CERT training for community groups is usually delivered in 2 1/2
hour sessions, one evening a week over a 7 week period, with official CERT product training material. The training consists
of the following:
Session I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people are
vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and
their families take before, during, and after a disaster. As the session
progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for
civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers.
Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this training
can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner. The CERT product concept and
organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in
that jurisdiction.
Session II, DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION: Briefly covers fire chemistry,
hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However,
the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up
the situation, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.
Session III, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS PART I: Participants practice
diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using
simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.
Session IV, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART II: Covers evaluating
patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment
area, performing basic first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary
manner.
Session V, LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about
search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and
most important, rescuer safety.
Session VI, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY AND TEAM ORGANIZATION: Covers signs and
symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It
addresses CERT product organization and management principles and the need for
documentation.
Session VII, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION: Participants review
their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills
that they have learned during the previous six sessions in disaster activity.
During each session participants are required to bring CERT Product safety equipment
(gloves, goggles, mask) and disaster supplies (bandages, flashlight,
dressings) which will be used during the session. By doing this for each
session, participants are building a disaster response kit of items that they
will need during a disaster.
Maintaining Involvement
When participants have completed this training, it is important to keep
them involved and practiced in their skills. Trainers should offer periodic
refresher sessions to reinforce the basic training. CERT teams can sponsor
events such as drills, picnics, neighborhood clean up, and disaster education
fairs which will keep them involved and trained.
CERT members should receive recognition for completing their training.
Communities may issue ID cards, vests, and helmets to graduates.
First responders need to be educated about the CERT and their value to
the community. Using CERT product as a component of the response system when there are
exercises for potential disasters can reinforce this idea.
Resources
FEMA supports CERT by conducting or sponsoring TTT's for members of the
fire, medical, and emergency management community. The objectives of the TTT
are to prepare attendees to promote this training in their community, conduct
TTT's at their location, conduct training sessions for neighborhood, business
and industry, and government groups, and organize teams with which first
responders can interface following a major disaster.
Conclusion
CERT and CERT products are about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and
doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and
realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be
initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through
training, citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the
three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for
shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and
organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.
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