City of North Lauderdale Office of Emergency Management

Get Ready to Help!

An Introduction to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Did you know . . . · There is a very good chance that your neighborhood will be on its own during the early stages following a catastrophic disaster. · After a catastrophic disaster, citizens will volunteer to help. Without proper training these people can expose themselves to potential injury and even death! · Experience has shown that basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills improves the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance arrives. The City of North Lauderdale Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program North Lauderdale has become part of a national network of CERT communities. We have developed a program that is designed to help neighborhood prepare for and respond after catastrophic disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, and other emergencies. Individuals completing CERT training may be affiliated with one or more of the following teams. · Neighborhood CERT: Ten or more neighbors serving immediate residential neighborhood. · Business CERT: Co-workers serving places of business and surrounding areas. · Faith-Based CERT: Teams based at a house of worship serving the immediate neighborhood, or travel into areas that need immediate assistance. Individuals not affiliated with a team may still be trained and serve in the community of North Lauderdale.

Once trained, a CERT will be able to provide the following services to their neighborhood:

• Increase their neighborhood’s disaster readiness
• Assess damage after a disaster
• Extinguish small fires and teach fire safety
• Perform light search and rescue operations
• Perform triage and provide medical services to injured
• Organize the procurement of supplies

Contact: Fire Chief Kevin R. Bowman: 954-720-4315 or at kbowman@nlauderdale.org

CERT Course Content The basic course will include those components necessary to get the team started and become capable of performing basic CERT functions. Each member must complete seven 3-hour classes in the following areas to become certified. Classes are scheduled to accommodate the needs of each team and are available two days a week when classes are being put on. Teams will learn: Disaster Preparedness: Instructs team members how to prepare themselves and their neighborhood for the various hazards that may occur. Team Organization and Disaster Psychology: Addresses organization and management principles necessary for a CERT to operate successfully. Covers critical incident stress for victims, as well as workers. Medical Operations: Team members will learn how to conduct triage, establish medical treatment areas, and to provide basic first aid for victims. Damage Assessment: Team members will learn how to rapidly assess damage employing a standardization format used throughout the country. Disaster Simulation: A Small-scale disaster simulation, located in the team’s neighborhood, is also part of the program. Fire Suppression: Team members will learn how to use extinguishers and other equipment to suppress small fires. Light Search and Rescue: Team members will learn light search and rescue planning, techniques, and rescuer safety. CERT Team Monthly Meetings The CERT members will meet once a month for organizational meetings, review of equipment and techniques, and planning for emergency management events. Additional training will be provided during these monthly meetings. Recruiting: The City of North Lauderdale is always recruiting new, ambitious members to its CERT. If you know of someone who would have an interest in this important mission, pass information about us on to them.

Frequently Asked Questions: What is a CERT Member? A CERT member is a person who is trained to prepare for and respond after a disaster in their neighborhood. A group of ten or more members of a neighborhood, business, or faith-based group will comprise a team. Persons not affiliate with a team may serve as individuals. Who may join a CERT? Anyone who is interested in helping his or her neighborhood prepare for a disaster and provide assistance afterward. Team training is preferred, however persons will be trained who are not affiliated with a specific team. Where can I get more information about the CERT Program? Contact the North Lauderdale Fire Rescue Fire Chief Kevin R. Bowman at: 954 – 720 – 4315 ext: 525 or Email to kbowman@nlauderdale.org For you real “Go-Getters” You can take the didactic component of the “Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams” (IS-317) online at https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/training_mat.shtm CERT Website Resources: Federal Emergency Management Agency: http://www.fema.gov/emi/cert for information about the national CERT program and links to other CERT sites.