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The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies occur, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.
 The CERT concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1985. FEMA made this training available nationally in 1993. Since this time, CERT programs have been established in more than 340 communities in 45 states.
The CERT training program is a 20-hour course split into nine units, typically delivered over several weeks. Training sessions cover disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, and team operations. The training also includes a disaster simulation in which participants practice skills that they learned throughout the course. The CERT course is taught in the community by a trained team of instructors who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course conducted by their state training office for emergency management, or FEMA's Emergency Management Institute, located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Franklin County CERT is active in the community before a disaster strikes, sponsoring events such as disaster drills and public disaster education meetings. FCCERT also offers monthly members’ meetings, which are open to the public, to reinforce the basic training and to keep participants involved and practiced in their skills.
CERT is a vital component of Citizen Corps, the President’s community-based initiative to engage citizens in homeland security and community and family preparedness through public education and outreach, training opportunities, and volunteer service. |
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