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Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

    

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.  Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.  CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

Training programs are normally held in West Seneca two times a year. Classes run for approximately seven weeks and conclude with a Disaster Simulation.

Next Class starts April 29, 2008

To register for the CERT Training Program call:

West Seneca Fire Inspector, John Gullo
558-3238
or

Click here for a mail-in registration form

What is CERT?

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train local citizens to be prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities.  The reality is, citizens could very likely be on their own during the early hours of a catastrophic disaster.  Training in basic disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance could arrive.  This training is not intended for First Responders (Police, Fire, EMS) as they already have a background in the subject area.  When emergencies occur, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site.  CERT Members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.

Citizen Corps, Erie County Department of Central Police Services in conjunction with the Erie County Department of Emergency Services, and Erie Community College Department of Workforce Development are coordinating and implementing the training for Community Emergency Response Team volunteers to respond to any type of emergency situation.  These Departments will maintain and manage a database of all volunteer members of this CERT program in case of an emergency.

Each CERT member will receive training in the following areas:

• Emergency Preparedness
  
• Fire Safety
  
• Emergency Medical Operations
  
• Light Search and Rescue Operations
  
• CERT Organization
  
• Disaster Psychology
  
• Terrorism and CERT
  
• Course Review and Disaster Simulation

Make a Difference in Your Community, Sign up to be a CERT Volunteer !!

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CERT Training

Click on picture to enlarge, press BACK button to return to Thumbnails

Thumbnails

Learning to work together as a team

Teams build a structure that will stand

Each member contributes to the team effort

Input is essential to the team

Some structures are tall and lean

Other structures are wider and shorter

What matters is that success depends on working as a team

Disaster Coordinater Mike Kerl assists team members

Learning the different types of Fire Extinguishers

Preparing to use Fire Extinguishers

John Gullo explains how Fire Extinguisher works

John demonstrates use of Fire Extinguisher

CERT Members try Fire Extinguisher

Safety first!

Bringing fire under control

Hands-on Training

Using buddy-system

Pull, Aim, Squeeze & Sweep

Bill Boldt demonstrates another type of Fire Extinguisher

Practicing Triage of Patients

Classroom Exercises help in training basic disaster response skills

Terrorism lecture by WSPD Officer Tim Pratt

Disaster Simulation Checking and preparing "victim

Disaster Simulation Moving injured "victim"

Disaster Simulation Blanket carry

Disaster Simulation Stabilizing a broken leg

CERT Graduation Class and Instructors