CERT Update: New Training and Tools

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CERT Update New Training and Tools to Support
Program Expansion Florida CERT Association
Annual Conference March 5 7, 2010

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CERT Update

• CERT Today
• New Training to Support the CERT Mission
• New Tools to Support the Program
• Looking to the Near Future
• Your Questions

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• The Community Emergency Response Team Program
  (CERT) is FEMAs national training program
• to prepare citizens to safely assist their
  families, neighbors, co-workers, or anyone who
  needs help
• in the event of a widespread emergency
• when professional responders may not be able
• to reach everyone as soon as help is needed.

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Why Community Emergency Response Teams?

• Professional responders are lt1 of U. S.
  population
• Widespread emergencies/disasters can overwhelm
  professional responders
• Good Samaritans can save lives
• Good Samaritans can become casualties
• Training and teamwork can increase the
  effectiveness and personal safety of Good
  Samaritans

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Why Community Emergency Response Teams?

• CERT Goal
• Do the most good for the most people
• in the least amount of time
• Ensure the safety of the volunteer rescuers
• Provide clear leadership for the rescuers
• Improve the effectiveness of efforts to save
  lives and preserve property

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Why Community Emergency Response Teams?

• We know theyve worked in a range of
  widespread emergencies throughout the U.S.
• First responder work
• Evacuations
• Information referral
• Recovery and
  disaster assistance
  services

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Program Growth and Expansion

• 1994-2010
• Number of local programs and individuals trained
• Engagement of specific groups (high schools,
  colleges, private sector, people with
  disabilities)
• Scope of the CERT mission at local level
• CERT activations and deployment at local level
• Credibility of the program and Teams

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Current Status

• Nearly 3,460 local CERT Programs in national
  registry
• Every state and territory
• 19 average annual growth over past five years
• 224 Florida CERT Programs in national registry

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Current Status

• Funded through Federal HSGP and/or local
  jurisdiction
• Typically operated by fire department
• Guided by FEMA policy for CERT training, but
  tailored to local community and hazards
• Activate CERTs for emergency and non-emergency
  operations

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Current Status

• BETs
• Biz CERTs
• BERTs
• SETs
• Teen CERT
• Teen SERT

• CERTs
• NERTs
• HEARTs
• NETs
• C-CERT
• Campus CERTs

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Evolving CERT Program Challenges

• Today
• Limited resources
• Maintenance of Teams and CERT members
• Credibility for CERTs as a community resource
• Scope and quality of CERT training
• Scope and quality of CERT trainer training
• Access to information on good ideas and best
  practices

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Training to Support the CERT Mission

• Updated IS 317 Introduction to CERT
• Updated CERT Basic Training Course
• New CERT Train-the-Trainer Course
• New CERT Supplemental Modules

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Updated IS 317 Introduction to CERT

• Helps prepare user, but does not substitute for
  classroom-based CERT Basic Training Course
• Introduces the basic concept of CERT
• Identifies principles for CERT operations
• Emphasizes the importance of taking the
  classroom-based training
• Approximately 8 hours to complete 6 modules
• Enhanced interactivity

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Updated CERT Basic Training Course

• Eight units and final drill 21 28 hours
• Conducted locally by fire departments, law
  enforcement and/or emergency management agencies
• Emphasis on hands-on training

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Updated CERT Basic Training Course

• Updated course content and course materials
• Assure all protocols are current and sufficiently
  detailed (e.g., search rescue, medical triage,
  ICS)
• Participant Manual, Instructor guide
• New and expanded PowerPoint files
• Version of Participant Manual formatted for use
  by those with low vision

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New CERT Training Videos

• CERT in Action! (19 min.)
• CERT Triage Handling Mass Casualty Situations
  (22 min.)
• Disaster Psychology (42 min.)
• Fire Safety The CERT Members Role (16 min.)
• Safety in the After Disaster Environment (27
  min.)
• Closed-captioned versions
• Spanish sub-titled versions

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New CERT Train-the-Trainer Course

• Standard curriculum and course materials for
  states and regions conducting Train-the-Trainer
  Course
• Assure T-T-T Course trains trainers
• Emphasize primacy of hands-on approach
• Help reinforce prerequisites for T-T-T
  participants
• Instructor Guide, Participant Manual, PowerPoint
  files, video

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CERT Supplemental Training Modules

• 3-4 hours each
• Animal Response I
• Animal Response II
• CERT Emergency Communications
• CERT Tools for Leadership Success
• Flood Response for CERTs
• Traffic and Crowd Management for CERTs

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CERT Supplemental Training Modules

• Overall Purpose
• Build on basic
  competencies
• Expand the response
  skills of CERT members
  and teams
• Increase CERTs usefulness to professional
  responders

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CERT Supplemental Training Modules

• Overall Purpose (continued)
• Provide ongoing opportunities for CERT members
  active participation
• Not required offered at discretion of local
  program manager to those who have completed CERT
  Basic Training Course

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Design and Development Process

• Supplemental training topics identified by survey
  of all local CERT Programs in national registry
• Subject matter expert (SME) panels for each topic
  recommend module content
• Instructor Guide, Participant Manual, PowerPoint
  file for each module

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CERT Animal Response I and II

• Overall Purpose
• Prepare CERT members for situations they may
  encounter in performing broader CERT response
  functions
• Generally address companion animals, service
  animals, for-profit animals, wildlife, exotics

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CERT Animal Response I and II

• Overall Purpose (continued)
• Emphasize animal response, not rescue (CERT role
  differs from CART, SART, DART)
• Identify CERT limitations (training will not
  impart professional animal handler skills)

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CERT Emergency Communications

• Build on team organization and operations in CERT
  Basic Training Course
• Reinforce importance of communications in
  emergency response and CERT role in
  communications during an activation
• Train on how to use a communications plan
• Identify communication modes and their advantages
  and disadvantages in emergencies
• Train on proper use of communication devices

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CERT Tools for Leadership Success

• Reinforce leadership concepts from CERT Basic
  Training Course
• Describe traits and responsibilities of leaders
  and followers
• Explain situational leadership and its
  application to CERT operations
• Practice the assessment and use of leadership
  styles in various CERT scenarios

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Flood Response for CERTs

• Describe Emergency Management System flood
  response
• Explain the dangers of floods and flood water and
  how to work safely around them
• Train on how to work with sandbags effectively
  and safely
• Reinforce operation concepts from CERT Basic
  Training Course that apply to flood response

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Traffic and Crowd Management

• Define traffic and crowd management and CERTs
  potential roles
• Describe crowd psychology and behavior in various
  scenarios
• Present and practice tactical fundamentals and
  techniques of crowd management
• Describe traffic pattern considerations and
  special conditions
• Demonstrate and practice directing traffic
• Reinforce CERT safety practices when activated
  for crowd or traffic management
• Reinforce use of ICS in crowd and traffic
  management

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Tools to Support the Program

• CERT National Newsletter
• CERT website
• CERT in Action stories
• New CERT Registry
• All training materials and videos for download
• CERT on GovDelivery
• CERT Liability Guide

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CERT Liability Guide

• Address liability exposure for CERT volunteers
  and organizations that train and use CERTs
• Identify types of liability exposure
• Explain sources for identifying types and levels
  of protection (e.g., State statute, local
  ordinance)
• Focus on means to limit exposure
• Organizational clarity about CERTs roles and
  responsibilities
• Administrative practices
• Training practices

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Looking to the Near Future

• National Level Exercise (NLE) 2011
• Major quake New Madrid Seismic Zone
• Significant play by CERTs in eight States
• Three additional supplemental training modules
• Firefighter Rehab
• CERT Exercise Swaps I
• CERT Exercise Swaps II
• CERT Program Manager Course

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CERT Program Manager Course

• To prepare current and prospective CERT managers
  for multi-faceted job of creating and sustaining
  an active local CERT program

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CERT Update

• CERT Today
• New Training to Support the CERT Mission
• New Tools to Support the Program
• Looking to the Near Future
• Your Questions

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More About CERT

• FEMAs CERT website
• http//www.citizencorps.gov/cert
• New training materials
• National quarterly newsletter
• CERT in Action stories on CERT activations
• Subscribe to GovDelivery to receive CERT alerts
  and news
• Contact national CERT office
• cert_at_dhs.gov

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Questions/Comments
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• Rachel Jacky
• National CERT Program Director
• Individual and Community Preparedness Division
• FEMA
• rachel.jacky_at_dhs.gov