Home/CERT Reference Guide/Section 1
Section 1: Disaster Preparedness
Community preparedness, local hazards and what a CERT does.
In this section
- Identify roles and responsibilities for community preparedness
- Describe the hazards that affect the community, people, health and infrastructure
- Take personal and organizational preparedness actions
- Describe the functions of CERTs
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Disaster Preparedness
Setting the Stage
Course Preview
- Fire safety
- Disaster medical operations
- Light search and rescue
- CERT organization
- Disaster psychology
- CERT and terrorism
Unit Objectives
- Identify roles and responsibilities for community preparedness
- Describe types of hazards that affect community, people, health, and infrastructure
- Undertake personal and organizational preparedness actions
- Describe functions of CERTs
Community Preparedness: Roles and Responsibilities
- Key priority in lessening the impact of disasters
- Critical that all community members take steps to prepare
- Effective when addresses unique attributes of community and engages whole community
Government
- Government has responsibility to:
- Develop, test, and refine emergency plans
- Ensure emergency responders have adequate skills and resources
- Provide services to protect and assist citizens
- Government has responsibility to:
Emergency Operations Plan
- Assigns responsibility to organizations and individuals
- Sets forth lines of authority
- Describes how people and property will be protected
- Identifies personnel, equipment, facilities, supplies, and other resources
Community Leaders
- Have a responsibility to participate in community preparedness
- Participate on local collaborative planning council
- Identify and integrate appropriate resources into government plans
- Ensure that facilities, staff, and customers served are prepared
- Have a responsibility to participate in community preparedness
The Public
- Learn about community alerts, warnings, and evacuation routes
- Take training
- Practice skills and personal plans
- Network and help others
- Give feedback to community
- Report suspicious activity
- Volunteer
Engaging the Whole Community
- Goal of Citizen Corps is to make communities safer, more prepared, and more resilient
- Citizen Corps Councils bring government and community leaders together
- Councils ensure emergency plans more effectively reflect the community
Types of Disaster
- Natural
- Technological
- Intentional
Key Disaster Elements
- They are relatively unexpected
- Emergency personnel may be overwhelmed
- Lives, health, and the environment are endangered
Local Hazard Vulnerability
- Identify most common disasters that occur
- Identify possible hazards with most severe impact
- Consider recent or historical impacts
- Identify susceptible locations in the community for specific hazards
- Consider what to expect from disruption of services
Results of Damage to Infrastructure
- Police: address incidences of grave public safety
- Firefighters: suppress major fires
- EMS personnel: handle life-threatening injuries
- Lower priority needs met in other ways
Hazards Related to Structure Type
- You may not have opportunity to select type of structure when a disaster occurs
- Engineered buildings have performed well in most types of disasters
- Types of damage vary by structure
- Differences in hazards and mitigation between single-family homes and multipleunit dwellings
Hazards from Home Fixtures
- Gas line ruptures
- Displaced water heaters or ranges
- Damage
- From falling books, dishes, other cabinet contents
- Electric shock or injury
- From displaced appliances, office equipment
- Fire
- From faulty wiring, overloaded plugs, or frayed electric cords
- Gas line ruptures
Home and Workplace Preparedness
Preparing for a Disaster
- Know local hazards, alerts, warning systems, evacuation routes, and sheltering plans
- Consider important elements of disaster preparedness
- Address specific needs for yourself and people you know
Protective Actions
- Assess situation
- Decide to stay or change locations
- Critical early decision in disasters
- Seek clean air and protect breathing passages
- Protect from debris and signal if trapped
- Remove contaminants
- Practice good hygiene
Sheltering
- Shelter in place: sealing a room
- Identify internal room
- Stay for several hours
- Store supplies
- Shelter for extended stay
- Stay for several days or up to 2 weeks
- Store emergency supplies
- Mass care or community shelter
- Take 3-day disaster kits
- Shelters provide most supplies
- Shelter in place: sealing a room
Develop a Disaster Plan
- Where will you meet family members?
- Who is your out-of-State “check-in” contact?
- Will you have an extended stay? Shelter in place? Evacuate?
- How will you escape your home? Workplace? School? Place of worship?
- What route (and several alternates) will you use to evacuate your neighborhood?
- Do you have transportation?
- Did you practice your plan?
Escape Planning
- Consider needs of children and individuals with disabilities
- Inform all family members or office coworkers of the plan
- Run practice escape drills
Preparing for a Disaster
- Mitigation is the reduction of loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters
- Any activity that prevents an emergency or reduces effects of hazards
- CERT members should have adequate homeowners coverage
- Add flood insurance if in a flood hazard area
- Mitigation is the reduction of loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters
Non-structural Hazard Mitigation
- Anchor heavy furniture
- Secure appliances and office equipment
- Install hurricane storm shutters
- Childproof cabinet doors
- Locate and label gas, electricity, and water shutoffs
- Secure water heaters and have flexible gas lines installed
Other Mitigation Measures
- Bolt houses to foundations
- Install trusses or hurricane straps to reinforce roof
- Strap propane tanks and chimneys
- Strap mobile homes to their slabs
- Raise utilities
- Build a safe room
Fortifying Your Home
- Different nonstructural hazards to fortify against:
- Home fires
- Landslides or mudslides
- Wildfires
- Different nonstructural hazards to fortify against:
Get Involved
- Preparedness requires active participation from all
- Talk to friends and family about hazards
- Ask about emergency planning outside the home
- Make sure those in charge have a plan
- Training provides skills needed to help others and keep skills current
- CERT program provides training, practice, and connection to others
- Participate in drills and exercises
- Talk to friends and family about volunteering
- Preparedness requires active participation from all
CERT Disaster Response
- Respond in period immediately after a disaster
- Assist emergency response personnel when requested
- CERT members’ first responsibility is personal and family safety
- Respond after a disaster:
- Locate and turn off utilities, if safe
- Extinguish small fires
- Treat injuries
- Conduct light search and rescue
- Help to relieve survivor stress
CERT Organization
Personal Protective Equipment
- Helmet
- Goggles
- N95 Mask
- Gloves (work and non-latex)
- Sturdy shoes or work boots
CERT in Action
Non-Disaster Roles
- Identify and aid neighbors/coworkers who might need assistance
- Distribute preparedness materials; do demos
- Staff first aid booths at special events
- Assist with installation of smoke alarms
- Parade route management
Protection for Disaster Workers
- CERT members generally protected by:
- “Good Samaritan” laws
- Volunteer Protection Act of 1997
- Relevant State statutes
- CERT members generally protected by:
Additional Training for CERTs
- Advanced first aid
- Animal issues in disasters
- Automated External Defibrillator (AED) use
- Community relations
- CPR skills
- Debris removal
- Donations management
- Shelter management
- Special needs concerns
- Traffic/crowd control
- Utilities control
- Online courses
Unit Summary
- You should now be able to:
- Identify roles and responsibilities for community preparedness
- Describe types of hazards that affect community, people, health, and infrastructure
- Undertake personal and organizational preparedness actions
- Describe functions of CERTs
- You should now be able to:
Homework Assignment
- 1. Review detailed information for Unit 1
- 2. Read unit to be covered in next session
- 3. Bring necessary supplies and wear appropriate clothes for next session
- 4. Discuss preparedness with family and friends
- 5. Assemble supplies in multiple locations
- 6. Examine homes for hazards
Terms in this section
Each opens in the glossary.
AftershockBatteriesCERTCheck-inDangerEscapeEvacuationFirst aidFlashlightHazardKitMitigationPerimeterPlanPrescriptionsRally pointSafetySanitationShelterShelter-in-placeVestWaterWhistle
Course material: FEMA's CERT Basic Training (2019), in the public domain. For study only, not medical advice: in an emergency, call 911.