WHAT
IS CERT?
A Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.) is a self-activating
group of citizens who care enough about their families, friends, and
neighbors to prepare themselves to be self-sufficient during crisis
situations.
After Hurricane Andrew, and its accompanying devastation, the Hollywood
Fire Department
realized the necessity of such a community program and began the process
of teaching citizens basic first aid, light fire fighting techniques
utilizing portable fire extinguishers, light search and rescue techniques
and certified them in CPR. With Fire Department guidance, the Hollywood
CERT team grew to over 180 members. These members are divided into
ten teams that cover designated geographical areas of the city in
the event of any type of disaster. The members are taught to care
for themselves and their families before any attempt is made to help
their communities and safety is stressed in all aspects of CERT activities.
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 materials 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. 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.
STARTING:
Our CERT courses are delivered in the community by our team of first
responders who have the requisite knowledge and skills to instruct
the sessions. Our instructors have completed CERT Train-the-Trainer
(TTT) conducted by the 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 courses, for our community groups, are usually delivered
in 2 1/2 hour sessions, one evening a week, over a 7-week period.
CERT trainees must meet the minimum age requirement of 18 years old.
The training consists of the following:
Session
I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people
are vulnerable in the community. Materials will cover actions that
participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster.
As the session progresses, the instructor will begin to explore an
expanded response role for you in that you will begin to consider
yourself a disaster worker. Since you will want to help your family
members and neighbors, this training can help you operate in a safe
and appropriate manner. The CERT concept and organization are discussed
as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in our 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:
You will 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: You
will 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, disaster workers and yourself. It addresses CERT organization
and management principles and the need for documentation.
Session VII, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION:
You will review your answers from a take-home examination. Finally,
you will practice the skills that you have learned during the previous
six sessions in disaster activity.
During each session you are required to bring safety equipment (gloves,
goggles, mask) and disaster supplies (bandages, flashlight, dressings)
which will be used during the session. By doing this for each session,
you are building a disaster response kit of items that you will need
during a disaster.
MAINTAINING
INVOLVEMENT:
When you have completed this training, it is important to keep yourself
involved and practiced in your skills. Our Trainers will offer periodic
refresher sessions to reinforce this basic training. Our CERT team
may sponsor events such as drills, picnics, neighborhood clean up,
and disaster education fairs which will keep you involved and trained.
As
a CERT First responder, you will need to be educated about the CERT
and your value to the community. Using CERT as a component of the
response system when there are exercises for potential disasters can
reinforce this idea.
CONCLUSION:
CERT is 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, you 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. Anyone
who lives or works in the City of Hollywood is eligible for training
with the CERT team. There is no cost associated with the team. Please
call the Training Division of the Hollywood
Fire Department
for more information at (954)967-4341 during normal working hours.