Community Emergency Response Team
CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area. If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster until help arrives. CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies.
CERT members maintain and refine their skills by participating in exercises and activities. They can attend supplemental training opportunities offered by the department and others that further their skills base. Finally, CERT members can volunteer for projects that improve community emergency preparedness.
CERT members learn to:
- Identify and anticipate hazards within their community
- Learn how to prepare themselves for a disaster
- Reduce fire hazards in the home and workplace
- Extinguish small fires
- Assist emergency responders when necessary
- Conduct light search and rescue
- Develop safe techniques for debris removal and victim removal
- Set-up treatment areas and command center
- Apply basic medical techniques
