CITIZEN CORPS

1
CITIZEN CORPSCERT ORGANIZATIONS
2
What is Citizen Corps?

• Following the tragic events that occurred on
  September 11, 2001, state and local government
  officials have increased opportunities for
  citizens to become an integral part of protecting
  the homeland and supporting the local first
  responders. Officials agree that the formula for
  ensuring a more secure and safer homeland
  consists of preparedness, training, and citizen
  involvement in supporting first responders. In
  January 2002, President George W. Bush launched
  USA Freedom Corps, to capture the spirit of
  service that has emerged throughout our
  communities following the terrorist attacks.

3
What is Citizen Corps?

• Citizen Corps, a vital component of USA Freedom
  Corps, was created to help coordinate volunteer
  activities that will make our communities safer,
  stronger, and better prepared to respond to any
  emergency situation. It provides opportunities
  for people to participate in a range of measures
  to make their families, their homes, and their
  communities safer from the threats of crime,
  terrorism, and disasters of all kinds.

4
What is Citizen Corps?

• Citizen Corps programs build on the successful
  efforts that are in place in many communities
  around the country to prevent crime and respond
  to emergencies. Programs that started through
  local innovation are the foundation for Citizen
  Corps and this national approach to citizen
  participation in community safety.

5
What is Citizen Corps?

• Citizen Corps is coordinated nationally by the
  Department of Homeland Security. In this
  capacity, DHS works closely with other federal
  entities, state and local governments, first
  responders and emergency managers, the volunteer
  community, and the White House Office of the USA
  Freedom Corps.

6
(No Transcript)
7
Citizen Corps Mission
To have everyone in America participate in
making themselves, our communities, and our
nation safer

• We all have a role in hometown security
• A personal responsibility to be prepared
• To get training in first aid and emergency
  skills and
• To volunteer to support local emergency
  responders, disaster relief, and community
  safety.

8
Citizen Corps Affiliates
9
The Need to be Ready
In 95 of all emergencies, bystanders or victims
themselves are the FIRST to provide emergency
assistance or to perform a rescue.
Los Angeles Fire Department
10
First Responders Per Capita
One firefighter for every 265 people One sworn
officer for every 334 people One EMT/paramedic
for every 325 people
Journal of Emergency Medical Services (2004)
National Fire Protection Association (2003)
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
(2003)
11
Citizen Corps

• Citizen Corps asks you to embrace the personal
• Responsibility to be prepared to get training in
  
• first aid and emergency skills and to volunteer
• to support local emergency responders, disaster
• Relief, and community safety.
• Currently there are
• 2,303 Councils which serve
• 223,200,849 people or
• 78 of the total U.S. population

12
(No Transcript)
13
CERT Concept

• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) are
  formed by members of a neighborhood or workplace
  who want to better prepare for the hazards that
  threaten their communities.

14
CERT Concept

• CERT allows community members to become active
  participants in learning about their hazards and
  preparing for them.

15
CERT Concept

• After training, CERT members augment emergency
  services capabilities, when called upon, by
  learning skills that they can apply following a
  disaster

16
CERT Concept

• The use of CERTs has grown from the original
  concept of involving community members in
  earthquake response operations to a program with
  merit for all communities and all disasters.

17
CERTs Role

• Agencies like Fire, Police, Public Works, and
  Emergency Medical work to provide immediate
  response in disasters. However, during disasters,
  these organizations may not be able to meet
  immediate needs because of demands and disrupted
  communication and transportation systems. It is
  possible that following a disaster, CERTs may
  respond to immediate needs in their neighborhoods
  or workplaces.
• Key Points
• Disasters are unexpected, overwhelming, and
  dangerous.
• CERT teams operating in their areas can extend
  the capabilities of response organizations to
  minimize damage to life and property.

18
CERTs Role

• Disaster Response
• CERTs respond in the period immediately following
  a disaster. CERT members are trained to perform
  many immediate response functions when
  professional responders are delayed.
• After professional responders arrive, CERTs may
  assist them with critical support activities.

19
CERT and ICS (Incident Command System)
20
CERT Structure
21
Need for CERT Organization

• Provides
• Common terminology that contributes to effective
  communication and shared understanding.
• Effective communication among team members.
• A well-defined management structure.
• Accountability.

22
Objectives of CERT Organization

• Identify the scope of an incident
• Determine an overall strategy
• Deploy resources
• Document actions and results

23
Purpose of On-Scene Management

• MAINTAIN SAFETY OF DISASTER WORKERS FIRST AND
  FOREMOST!
• Provide clear leadership and organizational
  structure.
• Improve effectiveness of rescue efforts.

24
CERT Decisionmaking

• Heavy damage No rescue
• Moderate damage Minimize rescuers and time in
  building
• Light damage Locate, triage, treat, and
  prioritize victim removal

25
Responsibilities for Documentation

• Provide command post with ongoing information.
• Document incident status.
• Incident locations
• Access routes
• Identified hazards
• Support locations

26
Southern Union Education System and ACTS World
Relief

• The objective of the Southern Union Education
  System and ACTS World Relief in using students is
  to support first responders, after they have set
  up a secure place to stay, by providing them and
  incident survivors with
• Food
• Water
• Emotional support
• Manpower for things such as
• Debris removal
• Community needs surveys
• Loading and unloading supplies
• Etc.

27
What we are going to do today

• CERT Functions Preparedness
• Search Rescue
• Fire Safety
• Hazardous Materials
• Triage
• Medical Treatment
• Psychological Symptoms
• IS-317 Examination
• 100 of the class receiving IS-317 Certification

28
This training is provided by the Southern Union
Education System and ACTS World Relief for the
express purpose of training the youth of our
church to provide effective service to others in
their time of extreme need.