What You Need to Know about Citizens Emergency Response Teams

Community Emergency Response Teams are made up of local volunteers who can be first responders for family and neighbors in a disaster. 

CERT History

The CERT concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1985. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs.

CERT became a national program in 1993. There are now CERT programs in all 50 states, including many tribal nations and U.S. territories. 

Each is unique to its community and all are essential to building a Culture of Preparedness in the United States. There are over 2,700 local CERT programs nationwide and more than 600,000 people have trained since CERT became a national program.

When a disaster strikes smaller communities like Dolan Springs and Meadview we will be on our own for days or weeks as most aid will be directed to major population areas. This is why we need a CERT team as well as volunteers for the fire district. 

What we have when disaster strikes, is what we have 2-3 firefighters. If roads are damaged there is a good chance the chief won't be in the fire district or won't be able to get here.

When fire strikes in Dolan Springs or Meadview there are always people who show up wanting to help firefighters. As much as firefighters appreciate the help, untrained people are a liability if they become injured at fireground. Rather than helping they're a distraction for firefighters worried about their safety.

If you're one of these people who show up wanting to help, thank you. But please call Chief Winn at the LMRFD Station 41 in Dolan Springs and tell him you would like to help out.

Start or join a local CERT Team. If you're not a joiner then all the CERT Basic Training Material like the Basic CERT Manual are available for those who would like to do the training on their own.

We live in a very rural area with limited response from first responders. That's why it's so important everyone learn these basic skills to deal with emergencies until professional first responders can arrive. 

A CERT team needs a sponsor like the local fire district or law enforcement agency.

The info below is from FEMA's CERT Page. 

Community Emergency Response Team

The 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, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.