Unit
- CERT definition: Community Emergency Response Teams are trained volunteers who assist professional responders during disasters, extending the reach of emergency services through basic response skills and neighborhood organization.
- Core mission: The primary goal is to provide immediate help when professional responders are delayed, using skills in fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, and team organization.
- Volunteer role: CERT members act under the direction of local emergency management agencies, never assuming professional responder roles or engaging in hazardous activities beyond their training.
- Disaster cycle: Response is one phase of a four-stage cycle (preparedness, response, recovery, mitigation), and CERT focuses mainly on the response phase while supporting preparedness and recovery.
- Team structure: Units typically organize into teams of 8-12 members with designated leaders, ensuring clear communication and task assignment through the incident command system.
- Legal protections: Good Samaritan laws and Volunteer Protection Acts shield CERT members from liability when acting in good faith within their training scope.
- Integration with responders: CERT operates as a force multiplier, performing tasks like traffic control, shelter management, and damage assessment once professional responders arrive.
- Training requirements: Standard CERT training includes 20+ hours of classroom and practical exercises covering all core response disciplines, with annual refreshers to maintain skills.
- Personal preparedness: CERT members are expected to maintain personal and family readiness before deploying, including stocking 72-hour kits, securing homes, and establishing communication plans. This ensures volunteers are self-sufficient and not competing for resources during activation.
- Communication protocols: CERT teams rely on designated radio frequencies, runners, and standardized message formats to coordinate with incident command. Members learn to operate battery powered radios and use phonetic alphabet and clear text to minimize confusion in noisy environments.
- Community outreach: An important secondary mission is promoting disaster preparedness in the community through educational events and neighborhood mapping. CERT members often conduct presentations on home hazard mitigation and family planning, building resilience before disasters strike.
- Psychological first aid: CERT training includes core principles of psychological first aid to support survivors and responders experiencing stress reactions. Members learn to provide calm reassurance, active listening, and referral to mental health resources without engaging in therapeutic counseling.
Scope of Practice
Role: CERT Volunteer during Disaster Response
Within scope:
- Performing light search and rescue in damaged structures without entering unstable zones.
- Applying basic triage and first aid for life-threatening conditions like bleeding and airway obstruction.
- Using fire extinguishers to suppress small fires and coordinating utility shut-offs.
- Setting up and managing community shelter operations under emergency management direction.
- Documenting damage and reporting to incident command using standard forms.
Outside scope:
- Engaging in structural collapse rescue requiring heavy equipment or confined space entry.
- Administering prescription medications, performing advanced medical procedures, or making independent medical decisions.
- Fighting large, spreading fires beyond incipient stage or handling hazardous material spills without HAZMAT training.
- Assuming command over professional responders or making operational decisions without authorization.
- Providing psychological therapy or counseling beyond basic psychological first aid.
Quick Revision
- CERT trains volunteers to support professional responders during the immediate aftermath of disasters.
- Members operate within a defined scope, focusing on basic life saving and team coordination.
- Legal protections apply as long as volunteers act within training and without gross negligence.
- The team structure follows incident command principles to ensure effective task management.