What is CERT?
Each year, many communities in Texas are subjected to severe weather, such as tornadoes, floods or flash floods, winter storms, or by "man made" disasters. The damage caused by such disasters affect everyone. Disasters can severely restrict and overwhelm emergency response resources, communications, transportation and utilities as well as leave individuals and neighborhoods cut off from outside emergency support.
Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are trained to take care of themselves and then help others in their community for the first several days following a disaster. This is when debris-clogged or damaged roads, disrupted communications, or high volume of calls may prevent access by emergency response personnel.
The purpose of CERT training is to provide citizens with the basic skills required to handle virtually all their own needs and then to be able to respond to their community's needs in the aftermath of a disaster.
CERT History
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, using the model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, began promoting nationwide use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994. Since then, CERTs have been established in hundreds of communities.
CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area.
If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community's professional response, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster until help arrives. CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies.
CERT members maintain and refine their skills by participating in exercises and activities. They can attend supplemental training opportunities offered by the sponsoring agency and others that further their skills basic. Finally, CERT members can volunteer for projects that improve community emergency preparedness.