The White County TN Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. A Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, is an organized group of volunteers trained in a consistent, nationwide approach to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. CERT v
olunteers support emergency responders with disaster preparedness and with protecting family, neighbors, and others in a disaster or emergency situation. Note: As a group, CERT volunteers only deploy how and when directed by their sponsoring organization. However, CERT training prepares individuals how to act as good Samaritans and apply their skills when situations arise in their daily lives. In 1985, LAFD officials traveled to Japan to study their disaster response plans. They learned that Japan used extensive training programs to train neighborhoods in basic emergency skills: light search and rescue, fire suppression, first aid, and evacuation. Later that year, a violent 8.1 earthquake hit Mexico City and killed thousands of people. An LAFD group traveled to Mexico City and observed how untrained neighbors were often first to respond to those trapped and injured nearby. City Fire Department began training their neighborhood watch leaders to perform basic fire suppression, light search and rescue, and first aid. This first team of 30 people completed training in early 1986. Using drills, demonstrations, and exercises, they proved that using layperson emergency responders was a viable concept. In 1987, the 5.9-magnitude Whittier Narrows earthquake just 12 miles east of L.A. proved to officials of the need for training civilians to better aid others and meet immediate needs. After the earthquake, L.A. created the Disaster Preparedness Unit within the Fire Department. Their goals were to:
Educate and train the public and government sectors in disaster preparedness. Research, evaluate, and publicize disaster information. Develop, train, and maintain a network of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). CERT Goes National
FEMA made the CERT training available nationally in 1993. Now communities in all 50 states, including many tribal nations and U.S. territories conduct CERT training for teens and adults for all kinds of hazards. FEMA supports CERTs by conducting or sponsoring Train-the-Trainer and Program Manager courses for members of the fire, medical, and emergency management community.
