CERT - The East County Community Emergency Response Team
Call me at (619) 441-1737 to put your name on this list - again the first 20 people who call can attend. Just leave your name and number and I will call you back to confirm and give you the location of the drill. - Monica Zech
Note: If you don't hear from me in about a week please call again, lately I've had some messages left with incorrect or hard to understand phone numbers.
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The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
(Updated as of 4/19/06 - subject to change-check this web page often for possible changes.)
East County CERT Academy Schedule for 2006
*Space is still available for the last academy - to register please call (619) 441-1615 and leave your name and call back number. I will call back and confirm your registration. - Monica Zech
2nd - Academy - Is Full
April 22 - Disaster Preparedness - completed
May 6 - Fire Suppression -
May 20 - Disaster Medical/Triage -
June 3 - Light Search & Rescue -
June 17 - CERT Organization & Crisis Psychology -
3rd - Academy - 7 Spaces Available
September 23 - Disaster Preparedness -
October 7 - Fire Suppression -
October 21 - Disaster Medical/Triage -
November 4 - Light Search & Rescue -
November 18 - CERT Organization & Crisis Psychology -
Note: Please scroll down for additional classes offered the 2nd Tuesday evening of the month.
*Please read the following information carefully. You are there to learn how to better prepare in the event of most disasters. If there are any "hands-on" training lessons you'd rather not do, and would rather observe, "no problem." Sometimes, just bringing comfort to others following a disaster may be the biggest help one can give.
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Extra CERT Schedule - For CERT Graduates & Enrolled Students:
Starting in February - the second Tuesday of each month is an additional CERT Training Class - 6 p.m.- 9 p.m. - at 1301 N. Marshall, held at the Heartland Training Facility in El Cajon - these additional classes are for CERT members only.
March 14th - CERT Skills Refresher - wear comfortable clothing, good strong shoes (such as tennis shoes, no sandals/flip-flops)and prepare to get a little dirty.
May 9th - CERT Drill - refresher
June 13th - TBA
July 11th - Terrorism
August 8 - TBA
September 12th - TBA
October 10th - TBA
November 14th - TBA
December 12th - Terrorism
*TBA- Subject To Be Announced
If you'd like more information on the East County CERT program please call (619) 441-1615.
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For those who took this class the last time - "you have reached a milestone." Your CPR/First Aid certificate is about to expire. During the last two years, we at New Frontier have continued to make history in the senior mobile home communities, by offering our CPR/First Aid classes to senior mobile home parks throughout Santee, and to CERT, SMOAC and other Senior organizations in East County. Our enthusiasm and dedication continue in the cause of preparedness, by getting the training to better take care of ourselves, our families, and our neighbors in the event of any type of disaster or emergency, large or small in our community. Some of us have already been put to the test and saved the lives of neighbors who would not have survived during those critical minutes before 911 arrived. And this year we are adding 2-year certification in AED (Automated External Defibrillator).Using an AED is now included internationally as part of the Good Samaritan Act.
We have scheduled the following Certification/Recertification classes:
Day Classes: 5/2/06 CPR/AED from 9A-1P and 5/4/06 First Aid from 9A-1P
Evening Classes: 9/11/06 CPR/AED from 6P-10P and 9/13/06 First Aid from 6P-10P
This 8-hour two session class, sponsored by New Frontier HOA and Management is subsidized and taught by certified instructors from Grossmont/Cuyamaca Community College: Cost: $25.00, (CPR/AED-$16.00, First Aid-$9.00). Prepayment at Registration is mandatory to secure the class. Pay by check. Check for $25.00, made out to "Community Learning" should be sent to : Sue Sizemore, (Space 50), or Elaine Murphy, (Space 278) New Frontier Mobile Home Park, 9255 Magnolia Ave., Santee, CA 92071. Call Sue Sizemore at: 596-0969 or email her at sizemore@cox.net. We at New Frontier look forward to seeing you again in a great reunion this year.
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CERT Hazard Plans - How to handle: "Tsunamis"
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Additional Disaster Information: From Fed Health - FED HEALTH
Disaster Supplies: American Red Cross - American Red Cross - San Diego
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For additional information about our East County CERT Classes, for:
El Cajon Fire - Call 619-441-1615
CERT is an excellent opportunity to learn many important life saving skills to better protect yourself, your family and your neighbors in the event of most disasters. This translates into saved lives and less panic.
CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.
Check the CERT Homepage from FEMA:
CERT Homepage
Take a look at the Los Angeles CERT Program:
www.cert-la.com
Rancho Santa Fe Fire - Click here: Rancho Santa Fe CERT
Lakeside Fire now has a CERT program, for more information call 619-390-2350, ext. 304. Leave a message and they'll call you back. A big "thank you" to their food and product sponsors - Walmart, Vons and Albertson's in El Cajon and Bagel Towne in Lakeside!
For the San Diego County CERT Council Website: San Diego CERT Council
For Coronado Fire's CERT program please call them at 619-522-7374.
In the Southbay:
For Chula Vista's CERT program please contact Carlos Bejar at 619-476-2378, or 619-476-2303. Southwestern College has now added CERT Training classes to their class schedule! Southwestern College, is located at 900 Otay Lakes Road, Chula Vista, call them at (619) 421-6700 for more information.
*Please watch this web site for future CERT Training dates and locations. CERT programs are in the planning stages for many other parts of the county. Check with your local fire department or the Sheriff's Department.
Frequently Asked Questions About CERT
What Is CERT?
(CERT) The Community Emergency Response Team program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.
The CERT course is taught in the community by a trained team of first responders who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course conducted by their state training office for emergency management, or FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI), located in Emmitsburg, Maryland. CERT training includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations.
Over the next two years, the CERT program aims to double the number of participants, with over 400,000 individuals completing the 20 plus hours of training. Train-the-Trainer sessions will be held in all 56 states and territories over the next year to expand the program throughout the United States.
Q: Why take the CERT training?
A: Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, there are emergencies and disaster that can overwhelm the community immediate response capability. While adjacent jurisdictions, State and Federal resources can activate to help, there may be a delay for them getting to those who need help. The primary reason for CERT training is to give people the decision-making and physical skills to offer immediate assistance to family members, neighbors, and associates. While people will respond to others in need without the training, the goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.
A success story about CERTs comes during the wildfires in Florida. The Edgewater CERT helped emergency management and the fire department by assisting with evacuations, handling donations, preparing food for firefighters, and answering the phone while the professionals were fighting the fire. It is a great example of CERT members and response personnel working together for the benefit of the community.
Q: How do CERT members maintain their skills?
A: CERT members and the sponsor work together to maintain team skills. It is suggested that the sponsor conduct refresher classes and an annual exercise where all CERT members are invited to participate. Some response agencies have conducted joint exercises with CERT team and operate as they would during an actual disaster. The last point does bring up a lesson learned. Besides training CERT members, it is also important to train members of response agencies about CERTs, the skills that teams have and the role that they will have during a major disaster. One way to develop this trust is by encouraging agency personnel to participate in classes as instructors and coaches and activities involving CERTs.
Understanding that CERTs may operate independently following a disaster. CERTs can practice this independence by taking some responsibility for their training. Teams can design activities and exercises for themselves and with other teams. Some members can be rescuers, some victims, and some evaluators. After the event, there can be a social so that teams get to know each other
Q: What if I want to do more than just the basic training?
A: CERT members may attend classes provided by the community agencies on animal care, special needs concerns, debris removal, utilities control, advanced first aid, Automatic External Defibrillator use, CPR skills, and others.
CERT members are a potential volunteer pool for the community. They can help with special projects like distributing preparedness material, staffing medical booths during special events, and assisting with installation of smoke alarms for seniors or special needs households. Some CERT members have sought additional training opportunities in shelter management, community relations, and donations management.
