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TRAINING & VOLUNTEER INFO
ATCOG'S CERT PROGRAM
Since September 11, we have all been compelled to act with courage,
compassion, and unit. To capture this spirit of service throughout the
country, President George W. Bush has called on all Americans to dedicate at
least two years of their lives--the equivalent of 4,000 hours--in service to
others. He launched the Citizen Corps initiative to inspire and enable
Americans to find ways to serve their communities and country.
The ATCOG
Region's Community Emergency
Response Team
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READINESS |
PEOPLE HELPING
OTHER PEOPLE |
RESCUER SAFETY |
CERT Curriculum
Frequently Asked Questions
ATCOG's Mission Statement
Support
the “National Mission” of Citizen Corps through providing education and
training outreach at the regional level to citizens, communities, and
jurisdictions to better prepare and respond to natural or unnatural disasters.
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CERT
is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster
situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their
actions can make a difference. Disaster can take on many
forms. When disaster strikes, a community is tested in ways that
many of us will never understand. However, the better prepared we
are to handle a disaster, the more likely we are, as a community, to
survive, withstand the pressures of the events, and rebuild. |
CERT training for community
groups is usually delivered in 2 1/2 hour sessions, one evening a week over a 7
week period. Through training, the first responders can
manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening
airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical
aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and
spontaneous volunteers to be effective. The CERT Curriculum is as
follows...
CERT
Curriculum
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VOLUNTEER IN »»»» |
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«««« YOUR COMMUNITY |
Unit
1, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
Addresses hazards to which
people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions
that participants and their families take before, during, and after a
disaster. As the session progresses, the instructor begins to
explore an expanded response role for civilians in that they should
begin to consider themselves disaster workers. |
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Unit 2, DISASTER
FIRE SUPPRESSION
Covers fire chemistry,
hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression
strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of
fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities, and
extinguishing a small fire. |
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Unit
3, ASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS Part 1
Participants
practice setting up medical treatment areas to provide basic first aid
for victims. Participants will also learn how to diagnose and
treat the THREE KILLERS: airway obstruction, bleeding, and
shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques. |
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Unit
4, DISASTER
MEDICAL OPERATIONS Part 2
Covers evaluating
patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical
treatment area, performing basic first aid, and t |
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Unit
5, LIGHT
SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS
Participants
learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, and
most important, rescuer safety. |
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Unit
6, AND TEAM ORGANIZATION
It addresses CERT organization and
management principles and the need for documentation. |
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Unit 7,
DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY
Covers signs and
symptoms (post disaster emotional stress) that might be experienced by
the disaster victim and worker. |
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Unit 8,
TERRORISM
Learn
what you need to know about Terrorism. Understanding how Biological, Nuclear, Incendiary, Chemical
and Explosives can affect you in your community and what to look for. |
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Unit
9, COURSE
REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION
Participants review their
answers from a take-home examination. Finally, they practice the
skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in a
disaster activity.
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For more information visit http://www.texascitizencorps.org/.
Frequently
Asked Questions
What
is CERT?
CERT members, after taking
care of their own families and loved ones (via better training received through
CERT), will help locate, triage, provide basic first-aid care, arrange ultimate
transportation, and report property damage. This is all accomplished via a
well-organized group of volunteers using self-funded internal communications
links. Teams of two, or more, will be assigned to walk their own neighborhoods
and communicate to a local command center of each of our sub-divisions and
provide mutual-aid support to each of our sub-divisions and other communities,
as required. Many teams will have nurses, doctors, retired medical and emergency
personnel at their disposal, while others are teamed up with CERT-trained first
aid volunteers and other team members taking on the task of filling out the
paperwork and transmitting this information back to the command center. CERT is
about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest
good for the greatest number of people.
What
will be your commitments to CERT?
As much as you care to
provide. Initially, the 7-week training and any refresher training's as
required. Depending on the levels of interest and coordination with the
authorities, CERT teams could be called into action to provide community service
for situations such as "missing persons."
What
will the training consist of?
The training consists of
3-hours sessions, 1 night a week, over a total of 7 weeks. The ATCOG Citizen Corps will be offering training soon. Training will include: Disaster
Preparedness; Disaster Fire Suppression; Disaster Medical Operations (basic
first aid - No CPR, unless volunteers are interested in taking First Aid to the
next level); Light Search and Rescue Operations; Disaster Psychology and Team
Organization; and Course Review and Disaster Simulation. The course is completed
with a take-home examination.
What
is CERT'S commitment to you?
At the completion of the
course, volunteers will be issued State ID cards that permit access to disaster
areas through secure police lines and barricades. Anyone volunteering to help
those in need are covered under the State law for "Good Samaritans."
As a CERT member, when activated during an emergency, you are covered by FEMA.
Experience
Required -
Interest in human life and
concerns for your neighborhood/place of business. No prior medical or rescue
training is necessary. To be eligible as a CERT member, you don't need to be
have experience as an ex-firefighter, paramedic, or emergency response team
member. All we need are average adult citizens of all ages that are willing to
take the initial 7-week training and have the willingness to participate in this
self-rewarding challenge. CERT
teams are comprised of all ages with varieties of physical abilities. The senior
citizens play major roles (note taking/communications, fund-raising, etc) that
contribute to the success of the organizations.
Rewards
- MANY
With 9 counties in our
jurisdiction, our CERT Teams will be in position to serve large
numbers of people covering a lot of territory.
With the ever-growing population, the time is now to begin organizing our own
teams.
Concerns
- A few
Volunteers are
our primary concern. Do we have enough interest in our family, friends, and
neighbors within our communities? We believe we do. Once we get the people
to volunteer their time to complete the 7-week training, can we find the
financial resources to fund basic communications hardware and first-aid kits.
Please help us help ourselves and volunteer your time and energy to a
potentially life-saving organization. Your loved ones, your community/place of
business, and your neighbors need your help.
Contact
ATCOG's Citizen Corps' Technician today!
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