The CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) initiative teaches people to better prepare for hazards that may affect their communities. In April I presented a brief overview for our Colorado group, and I thought it might be helpful to share with you all regarding general frameworks for approaching “incidents” of all kinds.
To view/download the cert overview from the Colorado meeting, simply click the following link:
To view/download the complete 2019 Participant’s Manual click the following link (it’s CHUCK FULL of information, not only for CERTs, but for incident/disaster/emergency preparedness in general):
I went through CERT Training three years ago.
As in most things, I need to review several times before it becomes a natural reaction in emergencies.
First aid is very much a part of the CERT program. As well as knowing how and having the tools to Stop The Bleed.
Agreed, Tom! I went through it back in 2009, and it was VERY valuable, worth every minute. The manual is long, but there’s real gold in there. Including some “home emergency kit” checklists, and some nice basic emergency response and “incident command” structure and actions that are useful in ANY situation.
Since a lot of in-person training is shut down due to COVID, I can highly recommend some of the online Incident Command training just to stay sharp. You can find these free on the FEMA website, or a ton of video training on YouTube as well.
Stay well, Tom, and may God bless and protect you!
I went through the CERT training in Keizer, OR a few years back. The first day, first exercise, was a mock earthquake with the grid down and we had to meet with those at our table as if they were our neighbors. We were instructed to find out what each person currently had in their home that could be of use in this emergency situation. This opened my eyes to how unprepared the average person is.
I went through CERT in Indianapolis, IN a few years back. Excellent. I am so glad I took the time and yes, going over this is vital. I would love to hear (that is if you recall) what each person had in their homes that was helpful in that situation of an earthquake.
Sinner53
CERT is a wonderful resource! When we plan for emergnecies at the State level, CERT, the American Red Cross, and RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) are all awesome partners. These are things that we can get involved in and find many like minded people who may likewise wish to check out CORAC.