Community Emergency Response Teams

Did You Know?

• There is a very good chance that your neighborhood will be on its own during the early stages following a catastrophic disaster.
• After a catastrophic disaster, citizens will volunteer to help. Without proper training these people can expose themselves to potential injury and even death!
• Experience has show that basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills improves the avility of citizens to survive until responders or other assisttance arrives.

CERT Standards and Protocols

The best source of help in an emergency or disaster is the paid or volunteer professional responder. But, if they are not available to adress immediate life-saving needs or to protect property, CERT members can help. CERTs are not intended to replace a community's response capability, but rather, to serve as an important supplement to it.

LEPC 2 is creating a volunteer resource that is part of the community's operational capability following a disaster

CERTs do NOT:

• Suppress large fires
• Enter structures that they consider heavily damaged and dangerous (e.g. leaning or moved from foundation).
• Perform hazardous materials cleanup or respond to incidents involving radiological, chemical, or biological agents.
• Perform medical, fire, or search and rescure operations beyond their level of training.
• Activate or deploy unless called for through procedures developed in coordination with local Emergency Management Directors.

CERTs are considered "Good Samaritans" and covered under the Volunteer Protection Act. CERT volunteers do not have any authority beyond serving as "Good Samaritan" when helping others

When deployed appropriately, however, CERTs can complement and enhance first-responder capability in neighborhoods and workplaces by ensuring the safety of themselves and their families working outware to the neighborhood or office and beyone until first responders arrive. CERTs can then assist first response personnel as directed.