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What is CERT?
The Federal Emergency Management Agency began promoting the nationwide Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994. Since then, CERT’s 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 response and organizational skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save lives and sustain lives following a disaster until help arrives.
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 base. Finally, CERT members can volunteer for projects that improve community emergency preparedness.
CERT training will teach participants to:
describe the types of hazards most likely to affect their homes and communities
describe the function of CERT an their roles in immediate response
take steps to prepare themselves for a disaster
identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes and workplaces
work as teams to solve different problems
apply techniques for opening airways, control bleeding and treat shock
conduct triage; perform head to toe assessments; select and set up treatment areas
identify planning and size-up requirements for potential search and rescue situations
use safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication and describe ways to protect rescuers during search and rescue.
CERT training is designed to cover:
Disaster Preparedness
Fire Safety
Disaster Medical Operations-Triage and Treating Life Threatening Injuries
Disaster Medical Operations-Assessment Treatment and Hygiene
Light Search and Rescue
Team Organization
Disaster Psychology
Terrorism and CERT
and a Final Exercise
Training usually runs eight weeks.
Collier CERT Training Contacts
City of Marco Island
Steve Fickling 389-5040
Golden Gate Fire Control and Rescue District
Victor Hill 348-7540
Big Corkscrew Island Fire Control & Rescue District
Andy Marfongella 455-1204
Isles of Capri Fire Rescue
Rod Rodriguez 394-8770
North Naples Fire Control & Rescue District
Jerry Sanford 597-3222
East Naples Fire Control & Rescue District
Greg Speers 793-7050
Ochopee Fire Control District
Paul Wilson 695-4414
City of Naples
Dan Zunzunegui 213-4918
For more information contact your local Emergency Management Office.
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