Will CERT Training Make a Difference in Your
Jurisdiction?
While your jurisdiction may be fortunate enough to
have been spared from the hardships and challenges that
other communities around the nation have faced; it is
probably just a matter of time before you are tested by a
major event.
Hopefully you will never have to issue a report on
how your citizens faired after a disaster; but if you did,
you should expect that having CERT trained people would
reflect some of the following responses.
Upon being notified by authorities of the impending
danger of the approaching hurricane CERT members began
taking inventory of their neighborhoods; who is home, who
isn’t, what residents have special needs or have to
make special preparations, who has equipment that will be
useful after the fact.
After the storm CERT team leaders were able to
organize volunteers to help assess the status of
neighbors in a very short period of time and authorities
were able to determine the need for emergency resources
much quicker than normal.
Those neighbors with Special Needs were quickly
assessed after the storm.
- Trained citizens were able to locate injured
residents, render first aid and where necessary
move them to a safe area for further treatment.
- Tornadic winds caused heavy damage in some areas
where CERT members were required to extricate
neighbors entrapped in collapsed structures.
- CERT members identified and isolated areas of
potential danger around downed power lines,
broken water mains, and flooded storm drains. All
damaged homes using natural or LP gas were
located and valves were turned off to prevent
fire hazards.
- Team leaders were able to advise emergency
operations personnel of the level of damage in
their areas which allowed the Mayor to justify
the need for a rapid response of State and
Federal assistance.
