C.E.R.T. Training for Teens

The  Community Emergency  Response Team (CERT) training for teens provides the youth with basic skills that enables them to handle their own needs and respond to their community's needs in the aftermath of a disaster. Participants learn best practices in disaster preparedness, first aid, search and rescue, and fire safety. Provided below is an overview of the training the youth will receive.

Disaster Preparedness
Introduction to disasters, the impact of disasters on infrastructures, hazards posed by building structures and nonstructural items, and the role of CERTs in disaster response.

Disaster Fire Safety and Utility Controls
Identifying and reducing potential fire and utility risks, fire chemistry, basic fire suppression strategy, firefighting resources, and firefighting techniques.

Disaster Medical Operations
Treatment strategies for life-threatening conditions, principles of triage, head-to-toe patient assessments, establishing treatment areas, treatments for burns, lacerations, fractures, sprains, and other injuries. (Note: This is basic treatment principles, not a first aid class.)

Light Search and Rescue Operations
Search and rescue priorities and resources, techniques for situational size up, lifting, cribbing, victim removal, and rescuer safety. 

CERT Team Organization (CERT ICS)
Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS), and CERT decision-making and documentation. 

Disaster Psychology
Describes the disaster and post-disaster emotional environment.

Terrorism
Terrorism defined, threat analysis, risk analysis, types of terrorism weapons, and travel and terrorism. 

Disaster Simulation
Hands-on simulation exercise utilizing the Incident Command System and learned skills.