Manmade / Technology Emergency Preparedness

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

E-mail ema@co.madison.il.us today to sign up for the Madison Country CERT Team.

Why CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)

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, citizens 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; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.

Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services.  Factors as 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 through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate lifesaving and life sustaining needs.

The CERT Program prepares people for hazards that may impact them during and following a major disaster.  Using the skills learned during the course CERT members will be able to assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.

 

No upcoming classes are scheduled at the moment

 

Please contact the Madison County EMA office to schedule a class or for more information about CERT training.  Classes may be conducted at your church, school, or business.  We will hold classes for 12 to 20 people and there are currently people on our waiting lists that would attend classes.  You must supply a location suitable for classes and exercises.

The only cost for the training may be for the participant manual, providing your own personal protective equipment and first aid supplies for the class.  Participants are expected to obtain the supplies and equipment to prepare their home and family for a disaster.

 

CERT Course Topics

  • Session 1, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS: Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community.  Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster.  As the session progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers.  Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner.  The CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.
  • Session 2, 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.  Participants will use extinguishers and put out a fire as part of this class.
  • Session 3, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS PART I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.
  • Session 4, 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 5, LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer safety.  After the classroom session participants will practice a search and rescue scenario by finding, extracting, and carrying a survivor from a simulated disaster scene.
  • Session 6, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker.
  • Session 7, CERT Organization: This unit addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.
  • Session 8; TERRORISM and CERT: Participants will learn how terrorism is used to intimidate or coerce and the types of devices terrorists typically use.  The role of CERT members in responding to potential terrorist acts is discussed.
  • Session 9, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION: Participants review their answers from a take home examination.  Finally, they will practice the skills that they have learned during the previous all sessions in a disaster simulation.  During the simulation a CERT Team will be presented with a disaster scenario; the team will need to respond using the skills they learned during the entire course.

 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.

E-mail ema@co.madison.il.us today to sign up for the Madison Country CERT Team.