East Haven Community Emergency Response Team

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q:What is C.E.R.T?

A: The Community Emergency Response Team (C.E.R.T) 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, C.E.R.T members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. C.E.R.T members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. There is a C.E.R.T Overview paper located at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT/overview.asp that gives you a complete description of CERT.

Q: How Does C.E.R.T benefit the community?

A: People who go through C.E.R.T 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, C.E.R.T 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, C.E.R.Ts provide useful information to responders and support their efforts, as directed, at the disaster site. C.E.R.T members can also assist with non-emergency projects that improve the safety of the community. C.E.R.Ts 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: How do I take C.E.R.T training?

A: To become a C.E.R.T member, you will have to take the C.E.R.T training from a sponsoring agency like an emergency management agency, fire department or police department in the area where you live or work. 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 C.E.R.T.

Q: Is there a C.E.R.T near me?

A: Over 1100 communities and growing have listed their program on the C.E.R.T web site under the Directory of C.E.R.T Programs by State. You can check at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT/dir.asp to see if one is in your community. There also is a web site maintained by Los Angeles City C.E.R.T volunteers that has a listing of teams. See http://www.cert-la.com/index.htm and the box for “Other Team Links”.

Q: How is the C.E.R.T funded?

A: Congress has provided funds through the Citizen Corps program to the States and Territories. Grants from these funds may be available to local communities to start C.E.R.T programs. Also, there are a variety of local approaches to funding. Some communities build costs into their local budget while others charge participants to attend training to cover costs for instructors and course materials. In a few communities, C.E.R.T organizations have formed 501 (C) 3 for non-profit status to allow them to do fundraising and seek corporate donations.

Q: Can someone under age 18 participate?

A: This is a local decision. Someone under 18 should be with a parent or have permission to attend. Some communities have reached out specifically to young people. Winter Springs High School in Florida offers the training to high school students. You can read an article about this on the C.E.R.T Web at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert/supplmnt.asp. C.E.R.T is a great way to address the community service requirements for high school students and provides students with useful skills. C.E.R.T also fits nicely with training given to Boy and Girl Scouts and the Civil Air patrol.

Q: What if I have concerns about my age or physical ability?

A: There are many jobs within a C.E.R.T for someone who wants to be involved and help. Following a disaster, C.E.R.T 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 C.E.R.T 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. C.E.R.T educates participants about local hazards and trains them in skills that are useful during disaster and life’s everyday emergencies.

Q: Why take the C.E.R.T training?

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 C.E.R.T 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 C.E.R.T program is to help people do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.
A success story about C.E.R.Ts comes from events during the wildfires in Florida. The Edgewater C.E.R.T 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.

Q: How do C.E.R.T members maintain their skills?

A: C.E.R.T 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 C.E.R.T members are invited to participate. Some response agencies have conducted joint exercises with C.E.R.T teams and operate as they would during an actual disaster. The last point does bring up a lesson learned. Besides training C.E.R.T members, it is also important to educate members of response agencies in the community about C.E.R.Ts, 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 C.E.R.T and responders is by encouraging agency personnel to participate in classes as instructors and coaches and in activities with C.E.R.T members.
Understanding that C.E.R.Ts may operate independently following a disaster. C.E.R.Ts 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.

Q: What if I want to do more than just the basic training?

A: C.E.R.T 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 C.E.R.T members when these additional skills are needed in the community
C.E.R.T 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.

Q: What about liability?

A: The text of the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 is located at http://www.mtn.org/handiham/vpa1997.html. Also there is information about State Liability Laws located on the Citizen Corps website at http://www.citizencorps.gov/councils/liability.shtm. During training, each sponsoring agency should brief its CERT members about their responsibilities as a CERT member and volunteer. Finally, there is a job aid on liability for you to review at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/CERT/new_CERT/t3-0.htm
The C.E.R.T 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. C.E.R.T 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.