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DISASTER
RESPONSE
Course Overview
Course Overview And
Objectives
The
purpose of this Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training is to
provide the private citizens who complete this course with the basic skills
that they will need to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the
aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services are not immediately
available. By working together, CERTs can assist in saving lives and
protecting property using the basic techniques in this course.
Course Objectives
Upon
completing this course, the participants should be able to:
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1.
Describe the
types of hazards that are most likely to affect their homes and communities.
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2.
Describe the
functions of CERTs and their role in immediate response.
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3.
Take steps to
prepare themselves for a disaster.
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4.
Identify and
reduce potential fire hazards in their homes or workplaces.
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5.
Work as a
team to apply basic fire suppression strategies, resources, and safety
measures to extinguish a pan fire.
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6.
Apply
techniques for opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock.
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7.
Conduct
triage under simulated disaster conditions.
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8.
Perform
head-to-toe patient assessments.
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9.
Select and
set up a treatment area.
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10.
Employ basic
treatments for various wounds, and apply splints to suspected fractures and
sprains.
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11.
Identify
planning and sizeup requirements for potential search and rescue situations.
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12.
Describe the
most common techniques for searching a structure.
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13.
Work as a
team to apply safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication.
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14.
Describe ways
to protect rescuers during search and rescue operations.
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15.
Describe the
post-disaster emotional environment and the steps that rescuers can take to
relieve their own stressors and those of disaster survivors.
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16.
Describe CERT
organization and documentation requirements.
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Course Overview And
Objectives (Continued)
Target Audience
The
target audience for this course will be private citizens who desire the skills
and knowledge required to prepare for and respond to a disaster.
Course Agenda
The
agenda for this course is shown below and continued on the following page.
Please note that some adjustments to the agenda may be required to allow
discussion of hazards specific to a community and—depending on class size—to
allow all participants to take part in the exercise portions of this course.
Unit
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Topics |
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1 |
Disaster
Preparedness
§
Introductions
§
Recent Disasters and Emergencies
§
Course Preview
§
Disasters and Disaster Workers
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Impact on the Infrastructure
§
Structural and Nonstructural Hazards
§
Hazard Mitigation
§
Home and Workplace Preparedness
§
Community Preparedness
§
Protection for Disaster Workers |
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2 |
Fire Safety
§
Fire Chemistry
§
Reducing Fire Hazards in the Home and Workplace
§
Hazardous Materials
§
CERT Sizeup
§
Firefighting Resources
§
Fire Suppression Safety |
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3 |
Disaster Medical
Operations—Part 1
§
Treating Life-Threatening Conditions
§
Triage |
Course Agenda
Unit
|
Topics |
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4 |
Disaster Medical
Operations—Part 2
§
Public Health Considerations
§
Functions of Disaster Medical Operations
§
Establishing Treatment Areas
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Conducting Head-to-Toe Assessments
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Treating Burns
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Wound Care
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Treating Fractures, Dislocations, Sprains, and Strains
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Splinting
§
Nasal Injuries
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Treating Hypothermia |
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5 |
Light Search and Rescue
Operations
§
Search and Rescue Sizeup
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Conducting Search Operations
§
Conducting Rescue Operations |
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6 |
CERT Organization
§
CERT Organization
§
CERT Decisionmaking
§
Documentation |
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7 |
Disaster Psychology
§
Team Well-Being
§
Working with Survivors’ Trauma |
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8 |
Terrorism and CERT
§
What is Terrorism?
§
Terrorist Targets
§
Terrorist Weapons
§
B-NICE Indicators
§
Preparing at Home and Work
§
CERTs and Terrorist Incidents |
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9 |
Course Review and
Disaster Simulation
§
Course Review
§
Disaster Simulation |
About The Course
Materials
Support materials required to facilitate conducting this course include:
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§
The
Community Emergency Response Team Instructor Guide.
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The
Community Emergency Response Team Participant Manual.
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Course
visuals.
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Please note that the Unit 1 course visuals that describe natural and
manmade hazards are generic in nature. The Instructor may use these
materials or substitute other visuals that are specific to the locale in
which this course is delivered. |
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Before
conducting the training, take time to become familiar with all course
materials. A brief description of each type of course material is included on
the following pages.
Community Emergency
Response Team Instructor Guide
With
the exception of selected visuals, descriptions, and activities that need to
be specific to a given community’s potential disaster events, the Instructor
Guide provides all of the materials needed to conduct this course, including:
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Instructions
for using the Instructor Guide (IG).
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A sample
course agenda.
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Notes to help
the Instructor facilitate training each session, including suggested
timeframes and required materials.
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Content
outlines for lectures and group activities.
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Course
exercises, including directions and a description of possible discussion items
resulting from the exercises.
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Paper copies
of all visuals.
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About The Course
Materials (Continued)
The
section titled, Instructor Responsibilities, which begins on page 1 of
this Instructor Guide, provides guidance for preparing to teach this course.
Beginning with Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness, all information is provided
using the following format:
§
Introductory
information on the unit is provided first. This information includes learning
objectives, the scope of the unit, training methods, references, and a time
plan for the unit. Some units also contain information on advance preparation
that needs to be completed before the session begins.
§
The course
content is presented in a two-column format.
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Instructor Notes, which are presented in the left column, provide
information for the Instructor, including which type of training aid (e.g.,
visuals or pages from the Participant Manual) should be used and guidelines
for time allowances. |
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Lesson Content, which is presented in the right column, provides the lesson
plan and instructions for facilitating the exercises. |
§
To provide
for easy use of the Instructor Guide, eight icons are used throughout the IG.
About The Course
Materials (Continued)
Icon
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Meaning
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Present content |
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Conduct an exercise or activity |
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Ask a discussion question |
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Display a visual (Note that a small version of the visual appears in the
training content column for easy reference.) |
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Refer the participant to the Participant Manual |
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Record participant responses on chart paper |
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Show a video |
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A
note for the Instructor that includes important information about the
content
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Be
sure to follow the Instructor Guide carefully when conducting this course.
About The Course
Materials
Community Emergency
Response Team Participant Manual
The
Participant Manual (PM) is an easy-to-use reference to the primary information
that will be presented in this course. The PM contains text with
supplementary graphics that illustrate key points in the text. It also
includes charts and tables that present very important information in summary
form that the participants can refer to easily after completing the course.
At the end of each unit, there is a summary of key points, an assignment for
the participants to complete before the next session, additional references
about the topic, and in some chapters, additional materials that supplement
the information in the chapter.
Emphasize to the participants that the PM is theirs to keep after the
training, and encourage the participants to take notes in their PMs
Instructor Responsibilities
Instructor
Qualifications
Instructors will be recruited and selected to conduct this course based on
their working knowledge of the content and skills required for each session.
It is recommended that at least two instructors jointly conduct each session.
Because Sessions 3 and 4 address disaster medical operations, it is
recommended that these sessions be conducted by licensed or certified:
§
Paramedics or
Emergency Medical Technicians.
§
Nurses.
It is
recommended that all other sessions be conducted by skilled fire and rescue
instructors.
Instructors should also be knowledgeable in:
§
The types of
hazards (natural, technological, and manmade) that present the greatest risk
to the community.
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Local
building structures that present the greatest hazard in the event of a
disaster.
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The
community’s emergency operation plan.
Preparing To Train
The
preparation and conduct of the Instructor has a definite impact on the
effectiveness of the training. This introductory section provides guidelines
for preparing for this course. Use the following steps when you prepare for
training:
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Thoroughly
read both the Instructor Guide and the Participant Manual.
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Conduct a
walk-through of all exercises and be prepared to answer any questions that the
participants ask while completing the exercises themselves.
Preparing To Train
(Continued)
§
Tailor each
session to your local community. Wherever possible, use local photographs of
common fire hazards, local buildings, etc. Using local information will add a
personal meaning for the participants and will help them to “buy into” the
CERT concept.
§
Draft your
own notes in the white space around the margins of this book. Include
information that is specific to the community. Indicate points where you want
to include additional local photographs.
§
Identify
sessions that require you to prepare information or materials that relate
specifically to your community (see “Preparation” at the beginning of the
session). Prepare these items in advance of the session.
§
Draft or copy
any supplemental materials from which you feel the participants will benefit.
Many supplemental materials may be available from local emergency management
personnel or from such Federal agencies as the National Fire Academy,
Emergency Management Institute, or National Severe Weather Center. If you use
copyrighted materials, be sure to obtain copyright releases.
Preparing The Classroom
As an
Instructor, you are responsible for:
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The equipment
that you need for the course. For each session, you will need:
| A
computer with PowerPoint software (PowerPoint 97 or more recent). |
| A
computer projector and screen. |
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Chart paper, easel, and markers. |
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Masking tape. |
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Pens and pencils. |
Session-specific
equipment and materials are listed at the beginning of the Instructor Notes
for each session.
§
The room
arrangement. This is your choice and, depending on the number of
participants; you may opt for different arrangements. Regardless of the room
arrangement you select, the training room must be large enough to accommodate
the exercises for each session.
Appendix 1-A: Hazard Lesson
Plans
This
appendix includes lesson plans for:
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Natural
Hazards.
§
Technological
Hazards.
Refer
to page 1-A-1 for a complete list of hazards.
Appendix 1-A
Note to the Instructor:
This
appendix includes lesson plans for the most common natural and technological
hazards that present a risk to the United States. These lesson plans include:
Natural Hazards:
§
Earthquakes
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Fires and
Wildfires
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Floods
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Excessive Heat
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Hurricanes and
Coastal Storms
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Landslides and
Mudflows
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Severe
Thunderstorms
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Tornadoes
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Tsunamis
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Volcanoes
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Winter Storms
Technological Hazards:
§
Nuclear Power
Plant Emergencies
§
Hazardous
Materials Incidents (includes household chemical emergencies)
Please
select the hazards that present the highest risk to your community and add those
lesson plans where indicated in Unit 1. Instructions for pulling the visuals
into the Unit 1 PowerPoint presentation are shown on page 1-3 of the Instructor
Guide.
Acknowledgements
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The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and
implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985.
They recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the
early stages of a catastrophic disaster. Accordingly, LAFD decided that
some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve
the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance
could arrive. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the
area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed
the need for training civilians to meet immediate post-disaster needs.
The training program that the LAFD initiated proved to be so beneficial
that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) felt that the concept
and the program should be made available to communities nationwide. In
1994, the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), in cooperation with the
LAFD, expanded the CERT materials to make them applicable to all hazards.
In
2003, President Bush asked all Americans to volunteer in the service of
their country. The Citizen Corps program was created to spearheaded this
effort to harness the power of every individual through education,
training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and
better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public
health issues, and disasters of all kinds. CERT was selected as one of
the primary programs offered to the American public to meet this
challenge.
EMI would like to thank the following people who participated in a focus
group to review and evaluate the CERT material.
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Lt. Stewart Anderson
Natrona County Emergency Management Agency
Casper,
WY
Robert Bohlmann
York County Emergency Management Agency
Alfred,
Maine
Lt. Bill Empey
City of Rochester Fire Department
Rochester,
New York
Chandra Fox
Emergency Services Coordinating Agency
Edmonds,
Washington
Rachel Jacky
Portland
Fire Bureau
Portland,
Oregon
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Acknowledgements
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Dale Kloes
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office
Bellingham,
Washington
Captain Don Lee
Los Angeles
Fire Department
Sherman
Oaks, California
Frank Lucier
North American Emergency Management
Napa,
California
Captain Robert Palestrant
Miami-Dade Fire Department
Miami,
Florida
Chief Harry Small
Pompano Beach
Fire Department
Pompano Beach,
Florida
EMI would also like to thank the following reviewers of draft material:
Mark Penn, Arlington Fire Department; John Moede, LA City Fire Department;
Corey Barton, Ogden Fire Department; Joel Kasprzak, Portland Fire and
Rescue, and Kevin Shanders, Portland Fire and Rescue.
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About Community
Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training
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If
available, emergency services personnel are the best trained and equipped
to handle emergencies, and you should use them. However, following a
catastrophic disaster, you and the community may be on your own for a
period of time because of the size of the area affected, lost
communications, and unpassable roads.
CERT Training is designed to prepare you to help yourself, your family,
and your neighbors in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Because
emergency services personnel will not be able to help everyone
immediately, you can make a difference by using the training in this
manual to save lives and protect property.
This training covers basic skills that are important to know in a disaster
when emergency services are not available. With training and practice and
by working as a team, you will be able to do the greatest good for the
greatest number after a disaster, while protecting yourself from becoming
a victim.
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When Disaster
Strikes
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The damage caused by natural disasters and manmade events such as
earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, and terrorism can affect all
elements of society and government. These events:
§
Severely restrict or overwhelm our response resources,
communications, transportation, and utilities.
§
Leave many individuals and neighborhoods cut off from outside
support.
It
takes time for emergency response agencies to set up and prepare for an
organized response, and damaged roads and disrupted communications systems
may restrict their access into critically affected areas. Thus, for the
initial period immediately following a disaster¾often
up to 3 days or longer¾individuals,
households, and neighborhoods may need to rely on their own resources for:
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Food.
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Water.
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First aid.
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Shelter.
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Individual preparedness, planning, survival skills, and mutual aid within
neighborhoods and worksites during this initial period are essential
measures in coping with the aftermath of a disaster.
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Community Preparedness
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Community-based preparedness planning allows us to prepare for and respond
to anticipated disruptions and potential hazards following a disaster. As
individuals, we can prepare our homes and families to cope during that
critical period. Through pre-event planning, neighborhoods and worksites
can also work together to help reduce injuries, loss of lives, and
property damage. Neighborhood preparedness will enhance the ability of
individuals and neighborhoods to reduce their emergency needs and to
manage their existing resources until professional assistance becomes
available.
Studies of behavior following disasters have shown that groups working
together in the disaster period perform more effectively if there has been
prior planning for disaster response. These studies show that organized
grassroots efforts may be more successful if they are woven into the
social and political fabric of the community¾neighborhood
associations, schools, workplaces, places of worship, and other existing
organizations.
Effective response therefore requires comprehensive planning and
coordination of all who will be involved¾government, volunteer groups, private businesses,
schools, and community organizations. With training and information,
individuals and community groups can be prepared to serve as a crucial
resource capable of performing many of the emergency functions needed in
the immediate post-disaster period. The Community Emergency Response Team
(CERT) program is designed to help communities prepare for effective
disaster response through training and planning.
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How CERTs Operate
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As
each CERT is organized and trained and in accordance with standard
operating procedures developed by the sponsoring agency, its members
select a team leader and an alternate and identify a meeting location, or
staging area, to be used in the event of a disaster.
The staging area is where the fire department and other services will
interact with CERTs. Having a centralized contact point makes it possible
to communicate damage assessments and allocate volunteer resources more
effectively.
Damage from disasters may vary considerably from one location to another.
In an actual disaster, CERTs are deployed progressively and as needs
dictate. Members are taught to assess their own needs and those in their
immediate environment first.
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CERT members who encounter no need in their immediate area then report to
their staging area, where they take on assigned roles based on overall
area needs. Members who find themselves in a heavily affected location
send runners to staging areas to get help from available resources. Ham
and CB radio links also may be used to increase communication capabilities
and coordination.
The CERT program can provide an effective first-response capability.
Acting as individuals first, then later as members of teams, trained CERT
volunteers can fan out within their assigned areas, extinguishing small
fires, turning off natural gas inlets to damaged homes, performing light
search and rescue, and rendering basic medical treatment. Trained
volunteers also offer an important potential workforce to service
organizations in nonhazardous functions such as shelter support, crowd
control, and evacuation.
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CERT Organization showing
the Fire Department Liaison at the top. Underneath is the CERT Team Leader
who directs the activities of four sections: Operations, Planning, Logistics,
and Administration. Underneath the Operations Section are three response
teams: Fire Suppression Search and Rescue, and Medical. Underneath the
Planning Section are two sections: Documentation and Incident Status.
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Protection for
Disaster Workers
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Explain
that, as volunteers, CERT members are generally protected by “Good
Samaritan” laws that protect people who provide care in a prudent and
reasonable manner.
Point
out that, in a disaster, CERT members are also protected by the Volunteer
Protection Act of 1997, a Federal law that protects volunteers from
liability as long as they are acting in accordance with the training that
they have received.
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PM, P. 1-24
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Tell the participants that there also is a chart titled, Applicable
Laws and Key Points, in the Participant Manual, on which they should
record applicable laws and key points for their State.
Explain the specific protection offered by the laws and point out the
liabilities that extend beyond the protection of the laws.
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PM, P. 1-24
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Applicable Laws and Key Points |
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Applicable Laws |
Key Points |
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Unit Summary
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Display Visual
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Unit Summary
§
CERTs are among a variety of agencies and personnel who cooperate to
provide assistance in the aftermath of a disaster.
§
CERTs have proven themselves invaluable in the areas in which they
were tested.
§
CERTs have become a key component of the Citizen Corps program.
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Summarize Unit
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Summarize the unit by
making the following points:
§
CERTs are among a variety of agencies and personnel who cooperate to
provide assistance in the aftermath of a disaster. The keys to CERT
effectiveness are in:
·
Familiarity with the types of events that are high risk for the area
and the types of damage that can occur as a result.
·
Adequate preparation for each event and its aftermath.
·
Training in the functional areas to which CERTs are assigned.
·
Practice through refreshers and simulations.
§
CERTs have proven themselves invaluable in the areas in which they
were tested. They can be invaluable in this community as well.
§
CERTs have become a key component of President Bush’s Citizen Corps.
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Ask the participants if they have any questions about anything covered in
this unit.
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Unit Summary
(Continued)
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Homework Assignment
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Tell the group that the next unit will cover fire safety. Then remind the
group that, before the next session, they should:
1.
Read and
familiarize themselves with Unit 2: Fire Safety in the Participant
Manual.
2.
Bring a
pair of leather gloves and safety goggles to use in the fire suppression
unit, and to serve as a starting point for their disaster supply kits.
3.
Begin
food and water storage for at least 3 days for themselves and their
families.
4.
Establish
an out-of-state contact.
5.
Locate
the utility shutoffs in their homes.
Tell the group to wear appropriate clothes to the next session (no shorts
or open-toed shoes), because they will practice putting out a small fire
with an extinguisher.
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Thank
the participants for attending this session.
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Unit 2: Fire Safety
In
this unit you will learn about:
§
Fire
Chemistry: How fire occurs, classes of fire, and choosing the
correct means to extinguish each type of fire.
§
Fire
Hazards:
Potential fire hazards in the home and workplace, and fire prevention
strategies.
§
Fire
Safety:
How to evaluate fires, assess firefighting resources, and determine a course
of action.
§
Portable Fire Extinguishers: Types of portable fire extinguishers and how to operate
them.
§
Fire
Suppression Safety: How to decide if you should attempt to extinguish a
fire; how to approach and extinguish a fire safely.
§
Teamwork:
The importance of working with a buddy.
§
Hazardous Materials:
How to identify potentially dangerous materials in storage, in transit, and in
your home.
Unit 2: Fire Safety
Objectives
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At the conclusion of this
unit, the participants should be able to:
§
Explain the role of CERTs in fire safety.
§
Identify and reduce potential fire risks in the home and workplace.
§
Conduct a basic sizeup for a fire emergency.
§
Operate a portable fire extinguisher correctly.
§
Understand minimum safety precautions, including safety equipment,
utility control, buddy system, and backup teams.
§
Identify the locations of hazardous materials in the community and
home, and reduce the risk from hazardous materials in the home.
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Scope
|
The scope of this unit will include:
§
Introduction and Unit Overview
§
Fire Chemistry
§
Reducing Fire Hazards in the Home and Workplace
§
CERT Sizeup
§
Firefighting Resources
§
Fire Suppression Safety
§
Exercise: Suppressing Small Fires
§
Hazardous Materials
§
Unit Summary
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Estimated Completion
Time
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2 hours 30 minutes |
Training Methods
|
As an introduction to
fire safety, the Instructor will describe fire chemistry and the classes of
fire emphasizing the importance of selecting the correct methods or agent
for fire safety.
Then, the Instructor will present an overview of hazards in the home and
workplace, including electrical hazards, natural gas hazards, and flammable
and combustible liquids, and lead a discussion of hazard mitigation and
preparedness.
The
Instructor will then describe CERT strategies for assessing situations
involving fire using sizeup and explain how to use the sizeup checklist when
conducting a sizeup.
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Training Methods (Continued)
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The
next topic will be a discussion of firefighting resources, including
portable fire extinguishers and creative resources such as pools, dirt or
sand, and a garden hose. Emphasis will be placed on portable fire
extinguishers because they will be the most common resource available to
CERTs. Discussion of portable fire extinguishers will include types,
extinguisher components, deciding to use a fire extinguisher, and correct
extinguisher operation.
Fire
safety will be the next topic. The Instructor will introduce the use of
fire safety equipment and will place special emphasis on firefighter safety
rules, including using the buddy system and a backup team, and techniques
for fighting fires (e.g., confine the fire, stay low to the ground, identify
a second exit route, etc.).
Next, the Instructor will lead an interactive discussion of hazardous
materials, including where they are found, placarding, storage, and
defensive strategies for hazardous materials accidents.
Finally, the unit will end with an exercise in which the participants will
operate in teams of two and use a portable fire extinguisher to extinguish a
gas fire.
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Resources Required
|
§
Community Emergency Response Team
Instructor Guide
§
Community Emergency Response Team
Participant Manual
§
Visuals 2.1 through 2.19
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Equipment
|
In addition to the
equipment listed at the front of this Instructor Guide, you will need the
following equipment for this unit:
§
A computer with PowerPoint software
§
A computer projector and screen
§
Samples of NFPA 704 Diamond and other hazardous materials placards,
if possible
§
1 roll of cotton swabbing
§
1 Pyrex® jar with lid
§
1 box of wooden kitchen matches
§
1 water fire extinguisher
§
1 dry chemical fire extinguisher
§
Portable Class A:B:C fire extinguishers (one for every five
participants) (A:B:C extinguishers may also be used.)
§
Fire Pan (see page 2-4)
§
Road flares and a long pole
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