Community Emergency Response Team

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• Community Emergency Response Team
• CERT
• Executive Briefing

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Why CERT???

• Following a major disaster, first responders who
  provide fire and medical services will not be
  able to meet the demand for these services.
• 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

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Why CERT???

• People will have to rely on each other for help
  in order to meet their immediate life saving and
  life sustaining needs.
• Under these conditions, family members, fellow
  employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try
  to help each other.

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The Need to be Ready
In 95 of all emergencies, bystanders or victims
themselves are the first to provide emergency
assistance or to perform a rescue
Los Angeles Fire Department
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Case in Point

• Mexico City earthquake
• 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.

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What can government do to prepare citizens for
this eventuality?

• 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.

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What can government do to prepare citizens for
this eventuality?

• 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.

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CERT History

• Los Angeles Fire Department 1985
• Emergency response overloaded citizens on their
  own
• Basic training survival, rescue
• Civilians helping neighbors until other
  assistance arrives
• FEMA adopted promotes concept
• President Bushs creation of Citizen Corps

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What does CERT do? Individual Preparedness

• Furthers the process of citizens understanding
  their responsibility in preparing for disaster.
• Increases their ability to safely help
  themselves, their family and their neighbors.
• Individuals will be better prepared to respond to
  and cope with the aftermath of a disaster.

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What does CERT do?Community Preparedness

• Civilians can be recruited and trained as
  neighborhood and business teams that, in essence,
  will be auxiliary responders.
• Benefits of CERT

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Benefits of CERT

• Trained, organized volunteers
• Support to first responders
• Provide immediate assistance to victims
• Organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster
  site
• Collect disaster intelligence to support first
  responder efforts

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What CERT is

• 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.

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Link with Professional Responders

• Coordination with local Citizens Corps Councils
  and local emergency services are essential to
  CERT success

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Course Overview

• The scope of the course includes
• Fire safety.
• Emergency medical operations.
• Light search and rescue.
• CERT organization.
• Disaster psychology.
• CERTs and terrorism.

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Community Delivery

• The CERT training for community groups is usually
  delivered in 2 1/2 hour sessions, one evening a
  week over a 7 week period.
• After these weekly sessions, the program
  culminates into a large group exercise.
• Multi-agency, multi-discipline instructors.

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CERT Liability

• 1 Consult with your legal counsel
• Limit exposure and liability
• Consent, waiver forms for participants
• Adhere to established training and curriculum
  standards
• Ensure that participants understand their scope
  of practice

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Laws that Protect Volunteers

• CERTs are considered "Good Samaritans" and
  covered under the Volunteer Protection Act.
• CERT volunteers do not have any authority beyond
  serving as "Good Samaritan" when helping others.

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Laws that Protect Volunteers

• NYS Defense Emergency Act
• NYS Executive Law Article 2B

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CERT Funding

• A variety of local approaches to obtaining funds.
• Some communities build costs into their budget
  while others charge participants to cover costs
  for instructors and course materials.
• In some communities, CERT organizations have
  filed for 501(C)3 (non-profit organization)
  status, thus allowing them to do fund raising.
• Grants to communities.

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Program Responsibilities

• State responsibilities
• T-t-T courses
• Curriculum coordination
• Local responsibilities
• Course delivery
• Materials and equipment costs
• Team/program management