A City as an Example

• In many cities that have CERT programs, they are often administered by the fire department. This may be for a couple of reasons .

• • First, the fire department normally employs the emergency response and medical personnel that can teach the response portions of the course.
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  • Secondly, most fire departments have active public education programs, and CERT can be fairly easily incorporated into those processes.
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• In many cases the fire department is also responsible for emergency management, so the program can fit very appropriately into the public education goals of the jurisdiction.

• Other City, or County as it may be, departments such as public works, public utilities, police, etc., should also be included as part of the teaching cadre. Each department has a specific role during a disaster, and those roles can be taught to the public through CERT. Having an understanding of government’s limitations after a disaster is a major benefit to the citizen; and the local jurisdiction.

• When the fire department operates the course, it is usually also established as the primary contact after a disaster.