Dallas CERT.pdf

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was promoted nationwide by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1994, using a model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department. CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and citizens, teaching basic response skills to members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces.

CERT members can assist others in disastrous events by applying basic response and organizational skills, helping to save and sustain lives until help arrives. CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies. Target audiences include neighborhoods, businesses, communities of faith, scouting organizations, school staff and students, clubs and organizations, and amateur radio emergency services.

CERT training sessions cover disaster preparedness, light search and rescue, team organization, disaster psychology, terrorism and CERT, final cert exercise, fire safety, and disaster medical operations. To get involved, individuals can register for CERT interactive and hands-on training classes, which are offered evenings and Saturdays, and require approximately 24 hours to complete for certification.