Armor CERT FAQ

What is CERT Training?

Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, there are emergencies and disasters that can overwhelm the community’s 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.

Who Can Take This Training?

Naturals for the training are neighborhood organizations, communities of faith, school staff, workplace employees and other groups that come together regularly for a common purpose.

Can someone under age 18 participate?

Again, this is a local decision. Someone under 18 should be with a parent. Some communities have reached out specifically to young people. Winter Springs High School in Florida offers the training to high school students. You can read an article about this on the CERT Web at http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/cert/supplmnt.asp. CERT is a great way to address the community service requirements for high school students and provides students with useful skills. CERT also fits nicely with training given to Boy and Girl Scouts, Explorer Scouts, and the Civil Air patrol.

What if I have concerns about my age or physical ability?

There are many jobs within a CERT. People are needed for documentation, comforting others, tracking teams etc. Not everyone is doing physical activity during an exercise or following a disaster. During the training, if one has a concern about doing a skill like lifting, just let the instructor know. You can learn from watching. We would like everyone who wants to go through the training to have an opportunity to participate.

Also, there are many jobs in maintaining the CERT program. People can help by keeping databases, developing a website and newsletter, and organizing activities.

How do CERT members maintain their skills?

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.

Understand 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.

What if I want to do more than just the basic training?

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.

What about liability?

There is a discussion paper on liability for you to read on this website. Also the text of the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 is located at https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/start-3-1d.shtm .

The CERT material was developed by the Los Angeles City Fire Department and printed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1993. The manual contains basic and straightforward material that has been accepted by those using it as the standard for training.

It is important to remember that the best source of help in emergencies is professional responders. However, in situations when they are not immediately available, people can use the skills taught in the CERT classes to help others until help arrives.