Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program

To promote hazard identification and mitigation in an effort to minimize the effects of a disaster in a community and facilitate recovery.

The CERT program was first developed by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985, and the first CERT Team completed its training in early 1986. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) now uses the program as a national model for other communities, and President Bush endorses this training as part of the Citizen Corps Program. In June 2003, the Los Angeles County Fire Department implemented its department-wide CERT training Program.

Training is held for seven consecutive Wednesday evenings. Participants must attend all seven classes to receive a certificate. There are no CERT training classes currently schedules.

The following link is an application that you can either print and fill out by hand, or fill out online and print (note that if you fill out the application online, you must still print, sign, and mail the application). Application or training registration questions should be directed to Debbie Trevino, (909) 399-5420, Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm. Completed applications should be delivered to:

Debbie Trevino
Claremont Police Department
570 W. Bonita Ave.
Claremont, CA 91711

• School Administrators
• Public Agency Workers
• Church Members
• Homeowners Association
• City Employees
• Business and Industry
• Community Groups
• Concerned Citizens

Webster's Dictionary defines a disaster as "any event that overwhelms existing resources to deal with the event." Within the first five minutes of a disaster, all available resources will have been committed, leaving you and your neighbors or co-workers to help yourselves. CERT can minimize the effects of a disaster and facilitate recovery.

Being trained on how to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in your own community is on of the most important things you can do to assist during an emergency. You don't have to become a CERT member to participate in and complete the training. By completing the training you will be able to assist yourself, your family and your neighbors during a major emergency or disaster.

Upon completion of the CERT program, you will be able to:

• Describe the types of hazards that are most likely to affect your home and community
• Take steps to prepare yourself for a disaster
• Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in your home or workplace
• Conduct triage under simulated disaster conditions
• Perform head-to-toe patient assessment
• Employ basic treatments for various wounds, and apply splints to suspected fractures and sprains
• Describe ways to protect rescuers during light search and rescue operations

UNIT 1: Disaster Preparedness

• Introduction to disasters
• Impact of disasters on infrastructures
• Role of CERTs in disaster response

UNIT 2: Disaster Fire Suppression

• Fire chemistry and basic fire suppression
• Identifying and reducing potential fire hazards
• Firefighting resources and techniques
• Introduction to Hazardous Materials Incidents

UNIT 3: Disaster Medical Operations I

• Treatment strategies for life-threatening conditions
• Principles of triage

UNIT 4: Disaster Medical Operations II

• Head-to-toe patient assessments
• Establishing treatment areas
• Treatments for burns, lacerations, fractures, sprains, and other injuries

UNIT 5: Light Search and Rescue

• Search and rescue priories and resources
• Size-up techniques and rescuer safety
• Lifting, cribbing, and victim removal

UNIT 6: Disaster Psychology and Organization

• Post-disaster emotional environment
• CERT organization: Incident Command System
• CERT decision-making and documentation
  

UNIT 7: Terrorism

• Risk and threat analysis
• Types of terrorism weapons
• Travel and terrorism

UNIT 8: Course Review and Simulation

• Course review
• Disaster simulation drill

For additional information contact Sergeant Karlan Bennett at (909) 399-5409.