Video: An Introduction to CERT

This video produced in 2008 is a short presentation on what CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) is and how a CERT is used. The video was produced for CERT programs in California however CERT is now a standardized national program.

Monthly CERT Refresher Course

The Monthly CERT Refresher Course is this Saturday - December 8th @ 9am.

CERT Refresher Course
LDS Cannon 5th / 9th Ward Building
1250 West 1400 South
Salt Lake City, UT

Link to MAP of location:
http://tinyurl.com/yeab6hl

We will be going over Units 1 - Disaster Preparedness

We hope to see you at the CERT Refresher Course!


The CERT Refresher class is held monthly on the 2nd Saturday @ 9am.  Each month cover one of the units from the CERT manual.  We welcome anyone that wants to come and refresh the CERT training they received, or come see what CERT is all about.

The location is the LDS Cannon 5th / 9th Ward building located at 1250 West 1400 South,  Salt Lake City, Utah.  The easiest entry is through the EAST doors of the building and it is in the first room to the right.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at:

mteeples@gmail.com
(801) 550-0269 - cell

We look forward to seeing you there Saturday!

Multi-City Cert Mock Disaster

This comes from the blog www.UtahPreppers.com.  The CERT event took place in September 2012 and was beneficial for all that attended.

Saturday I had the fun opportunity to join with other people at a multi-city mock disaster for CERT members.

This event was sponsored by the Lehi CERT team, and they put a lot of work in getting this running.  Members from all over northern Utah County and Southern Salt Lake Counties got together and quickly had their hands full with a variety of disasters.  We had a UTA bus with smoke billowing out, and very hurt people, to a school with a massive disaster in the gym, as well as very small, dark hallways that made for difficult rescues.  Attendees had the opportunity to practice a wide variety of skills, often in far less than ideal situations.

Continue reading by clicking the following link:

Recap: Multi-City Cert Mock Disaster

Disaster Volunteer and Donations Management Training

Training available on Disaster Volunteer and Donations Management at the State Capitol building...

Hello CERT members and Disaster Experts,

You are invited to attend the disaster training for volunteer and donations management at the state capitol on this Saturday, Nov. 17th  from 9 - 11:30. I hope you can join us.
Please email susanmthomas@utah.gov for more information and to register.

Please bring a laptop if you have one, and come to the State Office Building. The SOB is the north building of the four buildings on the capitol campus.

There is a small parking lot to the west of this building that we are free to use on Saturdays. There is a gated underground parking lot structure and an above ground lot. We may use the above ground lot.

As you look toward the State Office Building from the parking lot, you will see a cement driveway ramp that descends down to the basement level of the building.

Please walk down that ramp and to the door. There will be someone to let you in, as this door is always locked. You'll be directed to room B120 (Old EOC.)  If you are late and no one is standing at the door, there will be a note on the door telling you to call us so that we can come open the door for you.  The phone number to call or text will be 801-889-6964. A text is best as we'll be hosting our meeting. If you do not have a laptop, please let me know ahead of time as I have laptops that I can bring for you.

We will learn about the problems involving disaster volunteer and donations, the solutions, the state plan and the team and a FEMA National Donations Management Network website (formerly called AidMatrix) that helps us to better manage volunteers and donations. Then, we will have a hands on training on the website.  

It is important for people in our state to be trained pre-disaster to manage this effort, so I am very glad you are interested in attending and hope you can join us!

Call if you get lost, need help or have any questions.

Thank you for your interest in this important mission!  If you know of other CERT members who may be interested in attending this training, please let me know.

Susan

Why CERT? CERT members will be very busy with their CERT efforts the first few days after a disaster. And it is after those first few days that the state will have a need for help with volunteer and donations management.  So CERT members are a great fit to help with volunteer and donations management.

Susan Thomas
Emergency Planner/External Affairs Specialist
DPS, Division of Emergency Management
801-889-6964 mobile
801-538-3400 office
twitter: @susanmthomas

Volunteer & Donations Coordinator, Continuity Program Manager, DPS PIO Team

CERT Training Positions Still Available

A note from the local CERT training going on right now.

We had 9 people begin the training class Thursday night. We are looking for 11 more people to attend or the class may be postponed. Please push the word around. I would like to be able to keep the class going.

Please come and register at the class -- First time individuals and those looking to refresh their skills are welcome!!

Thursday the 20th of September
Monument Park 1st and 2nd Ward Building
1005 South 2000 East
6:30 to 9:30pm.

From the SE Division CERT Supervisor

Dear Friends,

Are you prepared to save yourselves, your families and your communities when disaster strikes? When fire, flood or shake/rattle/roll starts, you'll be glad you've trained in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), a national FEMA course!

The schedule for Fall 2012 Salt Lake City training is posted at www.slccert.org; click on "Register for CERT Training." The opportunities include two locations close to residents of the Salt Lake City Southeast Division.

• On Tuesdays September 11 through October 23, a course will be presented at the LDS Richards Ward building at 860 Downington Avenue.

• On Thursdays September 13 through October 25, a course will be presented at the LDS Monument Park 1st and 2nd Wards building at 1005 S 2000 E. 

Thirty dollars and seven weeks of classes from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. gets you instruction, a manual, a great CERT starter kit and new friends in preparedness.

If you want to attend but have a conflict for one or two of the nights of your selected course, you may coordinate with the instructors to make the unit(s) up. For instance, if you're signed up for the Thursday course but have to miss one, you could attend the Tuesday course on the appropriate day for that unit.

Please sign up soon; registration is required a week ahead of the start of the first class for each course. Get the word out to family, friends and neighbors as a minimum of twenty students is required to carry each course. These courses offer people previously trained in CERT to refresh and update their skills and, with $30 and attendance at all seven nights, an extra CERT kit for automobile or work!

Best regards,

Susan Smith, Volunteer
Salt Lake City CERT
Southeast Division Supervisor

CERT Class in the Foothill Area

The next CERT training class to be taught in

our area begins Thursday, September 13th.

Here are the details:

CERT Instruction

Dates:       September 13th through October 25th 

Time:         Thursdays, 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Location:   1005 South 2000 East - LDS church building

Cost:         $30

Go to www.slccert.org

          click on 'Register for CERT training'
                    scroll down and complete the form

                                 in the first box, select the class date '9/13'

If you need further information, you can email slcfoothillnet@gmail.com and I will respond back or redirect your request to the appropriate persons.

KSL - Shakeout CERT Training Report

KSL covered the Great Utah Shakeout and posted a video segment on CERT.

Notice towards the end of the coverage, they included what I interpret as Block Captains working in a "Neighborhood Disaster Drill"...walking the neighborhood, reporting into a communications center.

I like how they merged the two together.  Block Captains will play a big role in the successful use of CERT teams in a neighborhood.  With Block Captains walking their neighborhood and reporting situations in to the Command Center,  CERT teams can then be dispatched out to assist specific situations.

Follow the link below to watch just the CERT video...

              KSL - Great Utah Shakeout CERT TRAINING REPORT

Follow the link below to watch all the coverage

               KSL - Great Utah Shakeout FULL COVERAGE

Monthly CERT Refresher Course Training

Monthly CERT Refresher Course Training


Where:  Cannon 5th / 6th / 9th Ward building
               1250 West 1400 South - Salt Lake City - http://tinyurl.com/yeab6hl
               The easiest entry is through the EAST doors of the building
               the first room to the right.
When:    The second Saturday of each month
               9:00am (Usually lasts one hour)
Who:      Anyone with interest in learning more about what 
               to do during an emergency
What:     We cover a unit from the CERT manual each month
Cost:      No cost!


For more information, please contact:


Mike Teeples
mteeples@gmail.com
Terry Ingersoll
tanaone@comcast.net

Bonneville Hills C.C. CERT Meeting

Dear B.H.C.C. Residents Businesses & Friends,

B.H.C.C. CERT certified or people in the process of taking CERT classes are invited to a B.H.C.C.  community meeting to lay the groundwork for organizing CERT emergency preparedness in our community.

Eudo Atencio atencio65@gmail.com is our BHCC Leader for CERT in our community. The meeting will be at his home.

Date:         Wednesday, February 8th
Time:         7:00 pm.
Location:   Eudo Antencio home
                1481 South 2300 East


For more information, please email Eudo.

Thanks!

Neighbors Mobilize Deseret News Article

Immediately after the great 7.0 earthquake...stops rumbling, help is quickly on the way for everyone in Scott Johnson's West Valley City neighborhood.  It is not from the fire department or police. They will be too busy with collapsed schools, nursing homes, shopping centers and other big problems to allow coming to Johnson's residential neighborhood for days.

The help is coming instead from neighbors whom Johnson organized in advance. They have written plans to follow and are well trained. Meanwhile, residents in less-organized neighborhoods are merely "winging it" — and many die needlessly amid chaos, including untrained, would-be rescuers who enter buildings that collapse on them.

Johnson helped his neighborhood form a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

Follow the link below to read more:

http://desne.ws/oqC1jl

By Lee Davidson , Deseret News, Published: Tuesday, April 25 2006 

CERT

Community Emergency Response Team, CERT, is a training program that prepares you to help yourself, family, and neighbors in the even of a disaster.  As a member of a CERTteam, you can respond to disasters, participate in drills and exercises, and take additional training.

Under the direction of the local emergency responders, CERT teams help provide critical support by giving immediate assistance to victims, providing damage assessment information, and organizing other volunteers at a disaster site. They also offer a potential workforce for performing duties such as shelter support, crowd control, and evacuation until trained emergency personnel arrive.

The CERT program builds strong working relationships between emergency responders and the people they serve as well as helping the community year-round by assisting with community emergency plans, neighborhood exercise, preparedness outreach, fire safety education, and workplace safety.

CERT training takes about 20 hours to complete. Participants learn how to: identify and anticipate hazards, reduce hazards in the home and work place, extinguish small fires, conduct light search and rescue, set up a medical technique and help reduce survivor stress.

Who should take CERT training?  People interested in taking an active role in hometown preparedness. For more information on classes scheduled in Salt Lake City, visit the following links:

http://www.unifiedfire.org/divisions/community/cert.aspx?0

www.slcgov.com/em

IS CERT THE FUTURE OF ARES?

IS CERT THE FUTURE OF ARES?

From May 2011 QST © ARRL

David Coursey, N5FDL

n5fdl@arrl.net

Here is a statistic I like to toss around, because it explains the future of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service,^® at least in my part of the world. It starts with a question: “What is the largest, best-organized, and best-trained Amateur Radio emergency group in San Joaquin County? Is it ARES? RACES? A ham club?” No, it is the Community Emer­gency Response Team (CERT) in the City of Tracy, the Californiacommunity of 80,000 where I live.

Tracy CERT, operated by the fire depart­ment, requires its volunteer team leaders to be licensed amateurs, capable of providing longer-distance communication when their teams are in the field. IndividualCERT members who are not hams use short-distance Family Radio Service (FRS) radios to communicate with their leaders. Of the 45 responder-qualified members of Tracy CERT, more than two dozen have become licensed amateurs, most through a series of one day “HamCram” licensing events.

We follow the HamCram with training to get the new hams familiar with their radios, our frequency plan and net operation. (We have standardized on Yaesu FT-270, FT-60 and the discontinued VX-170 handheld transceivers.) No other group in our county has as many members that are as broadly trained. Almost all of the CERT hams are also ARES members. Since CERT is their primary affiliation, that’s how I count them.

Every CERT member is required to par­ticipate in at least 24 hours of CERT train­ing, attend meetings and training sessions at least occasionally. All members have basic Incident Command System (ICS) training and have been fingerprinted and passed background checks. Each member is also a State of Californiaregistered Disaster Service Worker.

Tracy is not the only city in our county with hams in its CERT program. In neighbor­ing Manteca, the police department CERT group has several hams. We are in the process of training perhaps a dozen more. The fire department has its own group with a half-dozen ham members with some overlapping with CERTmembership.

How is this the Future?

People get into CERT because they are interested in preparedness for their families and neighborhoods. Many have a strong “do-gooder” instinct looking for an outlet. CERT activities require communication. Whether day-to-day training, community events or an actual emergency, CERT members need to talk with one another, CERT leadership and their sponsoring agencies.

While some CERT groups have access to public safety radio systems, these don’t offer the flexibility and “When All Else Fails” capability that Amateur Radio does. Members also don’t get public safety radios to take home. I “sell” Amateur Radio to CERT members as a valuable tool for helping their community andCERT team that also hap­pens to be a fun and interesting hobby if they choose to head in that direction.

The Role of the HamCram

Once sold, the CERT member needs a quick and easy way to get licensed and radio-trained enough to perform their CERT mis­sions using ham gear. Enter the HamCram, a one day cram session — reading the question pools and answers repeatedly — that ends with the Technician exam.

I always — and only half-jokingly — warn attendees that they are likely to know less about radio when they leave the Ham­Cram than when they arrived. Still, we have a 90 percent success rate, which makes it easy to build a cadre of hams within a CERT organization.

We follow up with training in how to use a radio and lots of ham propaganda to try to make these new HamCram hams more interested in the hobby. Probably 15 percent take the bait, and the other 85 percent have at least received a good introduction to the capabilities of Amateur Radio. Some of our CERT members are upgrading and starting to get onto HF.

Why ARES Needs CERT

One of the problems many ARES groups and clubs face is the graying of Amateur Radio. Our average age is somewhere in the mid-60s, meaning many hams aren’t the active public servants they used to be. The pool of traditional “I am really interested in radio” young hams seems to have mostly dried up, our hobby replaced by the Internet and video games in the lives of people both young and old.

Our CERT members tend toward soccer moms and their husbands more than retir­ees. They are already signed-up for CERT activities, so getting some of them involved in non-CERT ARES activities is not much of a stretch.

Thus, Tracy CERT has created a pool of licensed operators who can respond either as CERT-trained ARES members or as ARES-trained CERT members, depending on the mission. The Tracy ARES group includes both CERT and non-CERT members, who work together in training and response op­erations.

Our non-CERT hams provide advanced ARES and communications capabilities that support CERTleadership and their members in the field. This works out quite well and without the friction that sometimes occurs in other locations. Does this mean CERT is taking over ARES, or vice versa? Hardly.

While our memberships overlap, each side has core members who think of themselves primarily as either a ham or a CERT member. They have their meetings, we have ours, and sometimes we meet together. Members of one can attend the other group’s training.

This works out quite well, in no small part because Tracy CERT and the Tracy Amateur Radio Club are both young organizations that grew up side-by-side. More established organizations might have to work harder to make ARES and CERT behave as the sister organizations they should be.

Key Points

CERT organizations can provide the new blood that many ARES groups and ham clubs need. CERTmembers may be younger than the general Amateur population and come with a predisposition toward active com­munity service. Amateur Radio provides communications that CERT needs. ARES can provide training, technology and communica­tions leadership to CERT groups.

HamCrams are key to getting CERT members licensed easily and quickly, but must be followed by ongoing communica­tions training. Having standardized radios, all programmed alike, makes it easier for ARES to support CERT members and their communications needs.

CERT and ARES working closely to­gether expands the capabilities of both groups. While CERT is not a traditional entry to Amateur Radio, CERT members are naturals for carrying out our public service commitment to the FCC and the American people. This article is intended to introduce you to the possibilities of CERT and ARES working closely together. Your situation will surely be different from mine.

Still, Amateur Radio and CERT each have something the other needs — people and communications — so it’s worth the effort to make the relationship work.

David Coursey, N5FDL, is Emergency Co­ordinator of San Joaquin County (CA) ARES, leader of the Tracy ARC, and a member of Tracy CERT. Visit his blog at n5fdl.com. His e-mail address is n5fdl.arrl.net.

Additional information on organizing a HamCram can

SLC SE Division Emergency Communications Net

SLC SE Division Emergency Communications Net

Amateur (HAM) radio operators in Salt Lake City and the surrounding area are encouraged to participate in the SLC SE Division Emergency Communications Net. 

Thursdays, 9 p.m. on 147.50 MHz simplex.

Check-in is first by the seven community council areas of the division (Yalecrest, Foothill/Sunnyside, Sunnyside East Association, Wasatch Hollow, Bonneville Hills, East Bench, and Sugar House).  Visitors outside the division are invited to check in afterwards.  Everyone is welcome to participate, including giving announcements, asking questions and proposing topics of emergency communications and other preparedness for discussion.

Please spread the word, including to people who may not be licensed in amateur radio but are interested in emergency communications, even inviting them to listen in from your radio station.  You never know when one of those people may be interested in becoming a scribe, even if he/she does not want to become licensed, as is already the case in one of our areas!