Community Emergency Response Team

Community Emergency Response Team
Name	Community Emergency Response Team
Formation	1985
Headquarters	Local jurisdictions
Region served	United States and international affiliates

Contents

Community Emergency Response Team is a program that trains volunteers to provide basic disaster response skills using standardized curricula developed by emergency management professionals. The program originated from initiatives in Federal Emergency Management Agency collaborations with local Los Angeles Fire Department planners and has since influenced volunteer preparedness efforts across United States municipalities, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, and international partners. CERT units partner with agencies such as Red Cross, National Guard, American Medical Association, Department of Homeland Security, and local fire departments to enhance community resilience for events like the Northridge earthquake, Hurricane Katrina, and other disasters.

History

The CERT concept emerged following post-disaster analyses conducted by Federal Emergency Management Agency and Los Angeles Fire Department after incidents like the 1971 Sylmar earthquake and the 1994 Northridge earthquake, prompting collaborations with Department of Homeland Security planners and academics from institutions such as Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. The formal CERT program was launched in 1985 as part of FEMA's Community Emergency Response Team initiative, influenced by volunteer frameworks used by American Red Cross, Civil Air Patrol, and Community Emergency Response Corps models. Expansion occurred after major events including Hurricane Andrew, 9/11 attacks, and Hurricane Katrina, which prompted partnerships with agencies such as Federal Bureau of Investigation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to refine curricula. International adaptations have been adopted by agencies like United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and municipal programs in United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Philippines.

CERT programs are typically organized at the county, city, or neighborhood level under the oversight of offices such as FEMA Region offices, county emergency management offices, or municipal fire departments. Units coordinate with partner organizations including American Red Cross, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster, and National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster affiliates. Leadership roles often mirror incident command concepts used in Incident Command System, linking CERT team leads with local Emergency Medical Services supervisors, Police Department liaisons, and municipal emergency managers. Many CERTs maintain affiliations with institutions like Community Colleges, University of California extension programs, and nonprofit organizations such as Team Rubicon and Medical Reserve Corps.

CERT training follows a standardized curriculum emphasizing modules comparable to courses developed by FEMA and adapted by academic centers such as Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Harvard School of Public Health. Core modules include disaster preparedness lessons akin to materials from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hazard assessment exercises influenced by National Weather Service guidance, and medical modules paralleling protocols from American Heart Association and Red Cross. Practical drills draw on methodologies from Incident Command System, Search and Rescue procedures used by Urban Search and Rescue Task Forcees, and mass casualty triage systems like those promoted by World Health Organization and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. Training often culminates in multi-agency exercises involving Police Department, Fire Department, Emergency Medical Services, and volunteer groups such as Samaritan's Purse and Team Rubicon.

CERT volunteers perform roles that complement responders from agencies like Fire Department, Police Department, Emergency Medical Services, and Public Health Department. Typical responsibilities include conducting light search and rescue similar to Urban Search and Rescue Task Force tasks, providing basic first aid aligned with American Red Cross and American Heart Association protocols, establishing incident command support reflecting Incident Command System practices, and assisting in public information tasks in coordination with Office of Emergency Management public affairs. In non-emergency periods, CERTs engage in community outreach with partners such as Local Health Department, Community College, and Neighborhood Watch programs to promote preparedness and resilience.

CERT activation is managed by local authorities including County Office of Emergency Management, City Manager offices, or incident commanders from Fire Department and Police Department. Deployments occur during events like Hurricane Katrina, California wildfires, Tornado outbreaks, and mass gatherings requiring public safety support, often coordinated through mutual aid systems such as Emergency Management Assistance Compact and regional task forces. CERTs also integrate into planned events and training exercises alongside National Guard elements, FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, and nongovernmental organizations such as American Red Cross for coordinated response.

Equipment issued to CERT volunteers generally includes personal protective equipment similar to standards from Occupational Safety and Health Administration, basic medical supplies following guidance from American Red Cross and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and light search-and-rescue tools consistent with best practices from Urban Search and Rescue Task Force guidelines. Funding sources comprise municipal budgets allocated by City Councils or County Board of Supervisors, grants from Federal Emergency Management Agency preparedness programs, philanthropic support from organizations like United Way, and donations channeled through Community Foundations or corporate partners such as Home Depot and Walmart Foundation.

CERT programs have improved community preparedness in events cited by studies from FEMA, Johns Hopkins University, and RAND Corporation, demonstrating measurable benefits in rapid initial response and public education during crises like Northridge earthquake and Hurricane Sandy. Criticisms include concerns raised by scholars at University of California, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and policy analysts at Brookings Institution about variations in training fidelity, coordination challenges with professional responders such as Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services, and liability issues involving State Legislature regulations. Ongoing evaluations by entities like National Academy of Sciences and Government Accountability Office aim to standardize best practices and address funding, credentialing, and integration with regional response systems.

Category:Emergency services