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Town of Wheatland/Village of
Scottsville
Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T.)
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Latest News:
We are proud to announce 12 community members have
successfully completed the training, and the Wheatland area CERT
team is now official. We are currently in the process of
recruiting 10-20 more community members to join our team. If you are interested, please
SIGN UP HERE. |
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 life saving
and life sustaining needs.
One also
expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members,
fellow employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help
each other. This was the case following the Mexico City
earthquake where 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.
If we can
predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs
following a major disaster, especially if there is no warning
as in an earthquake, and people will spontaneously volunteer,
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. 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.
For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions
below, or contact us at
cert@scottsvillefd.org
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Frequently Asked
Questions (FAQ's)
A:
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. Using
the training learned in the classroom
and during exercises, CERT members can
assist others in their neighborhood or
workplace following an event when
professional responders are not
immediately available to help. CERT
members also are encouraged to support
emergency response agencies by taking a
more active role in emergency
preparedness projects in their
community.
A:
People who go through CERT training
have a better understanding of the
potential threats to their home,
workplace and community and can take
the right steps to lessen the
effects of these hazards on
themselves, their homes or
workplace. If a disaster happens
that overwhelms local response
capability, CERT members can apply
the training learned in the
classroom and during exercises to
give critical support to their
family, loved ones, neighbors or
associates in their immediate area
until help arrives. When help does
arrive, CERTs provide useful
information to responders and
support their efforts, as directed,
at the disaster site. CERT members
can also assist with non-emergency
projects that improve the safety of
the community. CERTs have been used
to distribute and/or install smoke
alarms, replace smoke alarm
batteries in the home of elderly,
distribute disaster education
material, provide services at
special events, such as parades,
sporting events, concerts and more.
Q:
Is
there a CERT near me?
A:
If you live in the Town of
Wheatland or Village of Scottsville,
there is a CERT team in our
community. Please contact
cert@scottsvillefd.org
for more information and upcoming
training opportunities.
A:
Local government
prepares for everyday
emergencies. However, there can
be an emergency or disaster that
can overwhelm the community's
immediate response capability.
While adjacent jurisdictions,
State and Federal resources can
activate to help, there may be a
delay for them getting to those
who need them. The primary
reason for CERT training is to
give people the decision-making,
organizational, and practical
skills to offer immediate
assistance to family members,
neighbors, and associates while
waiting for help. While people
will respond to others in need
without the training, the goal
of the CERT program is to help
people do so effectively and
efficiently without placing
themselves in unnecessary
danger.
A
success story about CERTs comes
from events during the wildfires
in Florida. The Edgewater CERT
helped emergency management and
the fire department personnel by
assisting with evacuation;
handling donations; preparing
food for firefighters; and
answering the phone while the
professionals were fighting the
fire. This is a great example of
CERT members and response
personnel working together for
the benefit of the community.
A:
Naturals for the training
are neighborhood watch,
community organizations,
communities of faith, school
staff, workplace employees,
scouting organization and
other groups that come
together regularly for a
common purpose. CERT skills
are useful in disaster and
everyday life events.
A:
To become a CERT member,
you will have to take
the CERT training from a
sponsoring agency like
an emergency management
agency, fire department
or police department in
the area where you live
or work. If you live or
work in the
Scottsville/Wheatland
area, contact us at
cert@scottsvillefd.org
If you do not live or
work in the
Scottsville/Wheatland
area, contact the local
emergency manager where
you live or work and ask
about the education and
training opportunities
available to you. Let
this person know about
your interest in CERT.
A:
CERT members can
increase their
knowledge and
capability by
attending classes
provided by other
community agencies
on animal care,
special needs
concerns, donation
management,
community relations,
shelter management,
debris removal,
utilities control,
advanced first aid,
Automatic External
Defibrillator use,
CPR skills, and
others. The
sponsoring agency
should maintain
records of this
training and call
upon CERT members
when these
additional skills
are needed in the
community.
CERT member also can
use their skills to
help the program
flourish by
volunteering to
schedule events,
produce a
newsletter, perform
administrative work,
and take leadership
positions.
A:
CERT members and
the local
sponsoring
agency work
together to
maintain team
skills and the
working
partnership. It
is suggested
that the sponsor
conduct
refresher
classes and an
annual exercise
where all CERT
members are
invited to
participate.
Some response
agencies have
conducted joint
exercises with
CERT teams and
operate as they
would during an
actual disaster.
The last point
does bring up a
lesson learned.
Besides training
CERT members, it
is also
important to
educate members
of response
agencies in the
community about
CERTs, the
skills that team
members have
learned during
training and the
role that they
will have during
a major
disaster. One
way to develop
trust between
CERT and
responders is by
encouraging
agency personnel
to participate
in classes as
instructors and
coaches and in
activities with
CERT members.
Understanding
that CERTs may
operate
independently
following a
disaster. CERTs
can practice
this
independence by
taking some
responsibility
for their own
training. Teams
can design
activities and
exercises for
themselves and
with other
teams. Some
members can be
rescuers, some
victims, and
some evaluators.
After the event,
there can be a
social so that
community teams
can discuss the
exercise and get
to know each
other.
A:
There are
many jobs
within a
CERT for
someone who
wants to be
involved and
help.
Following a
disaster,
CERT members
are needed
for
documentation,
comforting
others,
logistics,
etc.
Non-disaster
related team
activities
may include
keeping
databases,
developing a
website,
writing a
newsletter,
planning
activities,
helping with
special
events and
organizing
exercises
and
activities.
During CERT
classroom
training, if
one has a
concern
about doing
a skill like
lifting,
just let the
instructor
know. You
can learn
from
watching. We
would like
everyone who
wants to go
through the
training to
have an
opportunity
to
participate
and learn
the skills.
CERT
educates
participants
about local
hazards and
trains them
in skills
that are
useful
during
disaster and
life's
everyday
emergencies.
A:
The text
of the
Volunteer
Protection
Act of
1997 is
available
for
viewing.
Also
there is
information
about
State
Liability
Laws
located
on the
Citizen
Corps
website.
During
training,
each
sponsoring
agency
should
brief
its CERT
members
about
their
responsibilities
as a
CERT
member
and
volunteer.
The CERT
material
was
developed
by the
Los
Angeles
City
Fire
Department
and
adopted
by the
Federal
Emergency
Management
Agency
in 1993.
The CERT
manual
contains
basic
and
straightforward
material
that has
been
accepted
by those
using it
as the
standard
for
training.
It is
important
to
remember
that the
best
sources
of help
in
emergencies
are
professional
responders.
However,
in
situations
when
they are
not
immediately
available,
people
will
want to
act and
help. We
have
seen
this
time and
again in
our
history.
CERT
training
teaches
skills
that
people
can use
to
safely
help
while
waiting
for
responders.
The
alternate
is to do
nothing
and that
is not
in our
nature.
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©2007 Scottsville Fire Department, Inc.
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