Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a component of Citizen Corps. CERT is focused on emergency preparedness at the neighborhood level. CERT is neighbors helping neighbors. CERT training prepares neighborhood teams for disaster situations where citizens will initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference.

Following a disaster, emergency responders may not be able to meet the demand for emergency assistance. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs until professional services arrive. It is likely that family members, neighbors and coworkers will spontaneously try to help each other. However, untrained, spontaneous volunteers may be injured while attempting to help others. This is a high price to pay and is preventable through training.

CERT training is an intense hands on training designed to help citizens protect themselves, their family and their neighborhood in disaster situations.  Participants learn preparedness for hazards that may impact our area and basic disaster response skills including: utility management, small fire suppression, medical assistance, searching for victims safely, and how to organize a team to be effective.  Those who complete the training are assigned to a team which may be activated to assist with disaster response.

For more information see the CERT website.

To volunteer for a Boone County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) call Boone County Emergency Management at 334-2279