CERT

Oconee County

Community Emergency Response Team

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. They recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a disaster.

Accordingly, they decided some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance could arrive. Their training program proved to be so beneficial, that the Federal Emergency Management Agency felt that the concept and the program should be made available to communities nationwide.

On a local level, the S.C. Emergency Management Division sponsors training for representatives from each county to become certified to train individual CERT teams within their community.

CERT teams can be comprised of neighbors, fellow employees within an industry, schools, church groups, civic organizations, etc. To qualify as a neighborhood team, at least three members from a designated area or organization need to participate in and complete the training program.

This course is recommended for anyone interested in learning basic skills that are important to know in a disaster when emergency services are not available. This training will provide the participant with valuable skills needed to survive in a disaster or other life-threatening emergency.

Topics to be covered include disaster preparedness, fire suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue skills, terrorism; as well as disaster psychology and teamwork.

Introduction
Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.

CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. While people will respond to others in need without the training, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger. In the CERT training, citizens learn to:

Why do the CERT Training?
Well, it's like paying for car insurance. You might never need either; you'd hope not to. But if the occasion arises, having the CERT training, just like having car insurance, means you're as ready as you can be to help yourself, your family and your neighborhood.

How do I join?
If you would like to attend a CERT course, call the Emergency Management Agency at (864) 638-4200 and give them your name, phone number, zip code, e-mail and community name. When a class is scheduled, you will be contacted. You can also download an application from this web site.

CERT training is provided free of charge in Oconee County to anyone 18 years old or over. Classes are taught at the Oconee County Law Enforcement Center on Church Street in Walhalla.

You can also organize a class for your neighborhood, business or community group. Call the Emergency Management Agency at (864) 638-4200 to schedule your class.

CERT members receive 20 hours of initial training. The course is followed by full-day biannual refresher drills and an opportunity to assist local emergency services at various incidents.

Oconee County conducts non-discriminatory CERT training classes. Non-discrimination includes race, religion, gender and group affiliations.

History of CERT

1985
The idea to train volunteers from the community to assist emergency service personnel during large natural disasters began in February of 1985 when a group of Los Angeles city officials went to Japan to study its extensive earthquake preparedness plans. The group encountered an extremely homogenous society that had taken extensive steps to train entire neighborhoods in one aspect of alleviating the potential devastation that would follow a major earthquake. These single-function neighborhood teams were trained in either fire suppression, light search and rescue operations, first aid or evacuation.

In September of 1985, a Los Angeles city investigation team was sent to Mexico City following an earthquake that registered a magnitude 8.1 on the Richter scale, killed more than 10,000 people and injured more than 30,000. Mexico City had no training program for citizens prior to the disaster. However, large groups of volunteers organized themselves and performed light search and rescue operations. Volunteers are credited with more than 800 successful rescues; unfortunately, more than 100 of these untrained volunteers died during the 15-day rescue operation.

The lessons learned in Mexico City strongly indicated that a plan to train volunteers to help themselves and others, and become an adjunct to government response, was needed as an essential part of overall preparedness, survival and recovery.

1986
The City of Los Angeles Fire Department developed a pilot program to train a group of leaders in a neighborhood watch organization. A concept developed involving multi-functional volunteer response teams with the ability to perform basic fire suppression, light search and rescue, and first aid. This first team of 30 people completed training in early 1986 and proved that the concept was viable through various drills, demonstrations and exercises. Expansion of the program, however, was not feasible due to limited city resources, until an event occurred in 1987 that impacted the entire area.

1987
On Oct. 1, 1987 , the Whittier Narrows earthquake vividly underscored the threat of an area-wide major disaster, and demonstrated the need to expedite the training of civilians to prepare for earthquakes and other emergencies.

Following the Whittier Narrows earthquake, the City of Los Angeles took an aggressive role in protecting the citizens of Los Angeles by creating the Disaster Preparedness Division (now the Disaster Preparedness Unit) within the Los Angeles City Fire Department . Their objectives included:

1993
The Federal Emergency Management Agency decided to make the concept and program available to communities nationwide. The Emergency Management Institute, in cooperation with the Los Angeles Fire Department, expanded the CERT materials to make them applicable to all hazards.

2002
In January 2002, CERT became part of the Citizen Corps, a unifying structure to link a variety of related volunteer activities to expand a community's resources for crime prevention and emergency response.

2003
Oconee County Emergency Management Department completed its first CERT class in November. As of July 2003, 48 states and six foreign countries are using the CERT training.

CERT Team 1

CERT Team 2

Initial CERT Training  

The next CERT Classes are: April 16, July 23, October 22

CERT Training Team
CERT is coordinated by Oconee County Emergency Management Department
Program Coordinator: Diane Platenyk

Instructor Pool

2004 Classes
The next Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training course will begin Friday, January 23, 2004 . The course will be conducted by the Oconee County Emergency Management Department.

CERT training is provided through a 20-hour course conducted over two weekends. Upon completion of the course, participants are presented with response equipment and a certificate identifying them as a CERT member.

To participate in the training course or learn more about CERT, call (864) 638-4200.

Please Note: Always call the class contact person the day before or the day of the class to ensure there have been no changes. CERT is provided free of charge within the County of Oconee to anyone 18 or over.

To register for a class, to verify the date, time and location of the class, contact Oconee County Emergency Management Department at (864) 638-4200.

Non-Discrimination Policy: The Oconee County CERT Training only conducts non-discriminatory classes. Non-discrimination includes race, religion, gender, and group affiliations.

Initial CERT Training Course Schedule

 CERT Advanced Level

CERT Application

 Please mail or fax your completed application to:

Oconee County Emergency Management Department
415 South Pine Street
Walhalla , SC 29691
Phone: (864) 638-4200
Fax: (864) 638-7046

Community Emergency    Response Team

Oconee County

Training Application

Please print clearly, or type.

Full Name ________________________________________________________________________

Home Address ________________________________ City ___________________ Zip _________

Home Phone ___________________ Work Phone __________________ Fax __________________

Email Address _____________________________________________________________________

Employer Name & Address (if applicable) ______________________________________________

Title or Job Description _____________________________________________________________

•     I am a resident of Oconee County    •     I am 18 or older

Driver License #: ________________________________ D.O.B: _________-________-_________

Have you ever been arrested? ______ If yes, please list when, where and the offense: ____________

_________________________________________________________________________________

This program does include physical activity. Do you require any special accommodations to participate in this program? (Please Explain) _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Name and phone numbers of person to contact in the event of an emergency ___________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

How did you hear about CERT Training? _______________________________________________

Why do you want to attend CERT Training? _____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Please provide information about your interests, community involvement, etc.

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

I understand a background check will be conducted on all applicants. I authorize a background check on me based on this application. I give permission for any still photography or video footage in which I may appear to be used for whatever purpose deemed appropriate. I do this voluntarily and with the understanding there is no remuneration. In addition, I release any involved agencies and jurisdictions from any liability related to this training. All information on the above application is true.

                                    ________________________________________________________

                                    Signature                                                          Date