Community Emergency Response Team
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. To receive updates about Southlake DPS and CERT activities make sure to visit www.mysouthlakenews.com.
About CERT
A Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a ready force of organized and trained volunteer disaster workers that operates at the neighborhood level. After a disaster our first responders and other government service providers will be overwhelmed. Public services will not be able to deliver help everywhere that help will be needed. Experience has shown that in a disaster setting, ordinary citizens make over 80% of successful rescues as they respond to the emergency in their community. However, many untrained volunteer rescuers may actually cause harm or become injured in the process.
When a disaster strikes, CERT volunteers spring into action: they check on their families, they check on the neighbors, suppress small fires, conduct light urban search and rescue, and provide emergency medical aid and psychological comfort to their neighbors.
If we can predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs following a major disaster, especially if there is little or no warning and people will spontaneously volunteer, what can the City of Southlake do to prepare citizens for this eventuality? Encourage our citizens to participate in the Southlake CERT training!!
Background
The Community Emergency Response Team concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. The training program that LAFD initiated made good sense and furthered the process of citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for disaster. It also increased citizen’s ability to safely help themselves, their family and their neighbors. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognized the importance of preparing citizens. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National Fire Academy adopted and expanded the CERT materials to apply them to all hazards and all locations.
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. 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.
CERT Training
The CERT course is delivered in the community by a team of Emergency Management, Fire, and Police officials who have the knowledge and skills to instruct the sessions. The CERT training for is usually done in the spring/summer in 2 1/2 hour sessions, one evening a week over a 7 week period. The training consists of the following:
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Disaster Preparedness
- Disaster Fire Suppression
- Disaster Medical Operations
- Light Search and Rescue
- Disaster Psychology and Team Orientation
- Live Disaster Simulation
During each session, participants are required to bring safety equipment (gloves, goggles, mask) and utilize disaster supplies (bandages, flashlight, dressings). By doing this for each session, participants are building a disaster response kit of items that they will need during a disaster.
What Will I Get Out of CERT?
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. Southlake CERT members are:
- A group of people that is organized and receives special training that enhances their ability to recognize, respond to and recover from a major emergency or disaster situation.
- Organized under the leadership of Southlake Department of Public Safety.
- Trained by emergency responders and emergency management personnel in areas that will help them take care of themselves and others before, during and after a major emergency.
- An organized team, providing vital services in the absence of emergency responders, whose arrival may be delayed due to the scope of the event.
- Able to immediately assist those in distress, when a major emergency overwhelms normally available resources.
Maintaining Involvement
When citizens have completed this training, it is important to stay involved and practiced in the skills learned through the CERT training. Southlake DPS offers periodic refresher sessions to reinforce the basic training, often in conjunction with other Southlake DPS volunteer groups.
How Do I Sign-Up?
CERT classes are held annually, usually in the spring or early summer. If you are interested in participating, you can complete a CERT Application and fax, email, or drop it by one of the Southlake DPS facilities:
|
Southlake DPS Headquarters |
Southlake DPS West Station |
| Fax 817-748-8317 | |
You can also contact Community Initiatives Officer Renni Burt at 817-748-8349 or email.