Posted: 9/12/2011 2:10:55 PM EDT
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My county just announced that it is going to form a CERT team. They are looking for people interested in taking the training and being on the team. The training and classes are free to county residents, with continuing training taking place.
I was just wondering what the hives mind thinks, would it be worthwhile to take the classes and join the team? |
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YES. Especially if you have a good CERT leader and a good working relationship with the EMA.
I have several friends in various counties and states that have done everything from work hurricane/storm relief, SAR, Medical response and a dozen other things with law enforcement, county and state agencies. For me, even with it's faults, is another tool in the tool box of preparedness. My CERT ID has got me through closed roads several times over the last couple of years & through a couple snow emergencies without getting a ticket. That has paid for all my training in itself. |
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I just completed my basic last weekend You'll need the 100 and 700 course off the fema web site.
I found it's a great way to help the community and get the paid help to understand that some disasters are just more than they can handle. Plus when your called to a incident you will be covered by the states liability if somthing you do goes fubar. We had a wilderness S&R course last fall with motel and catered food all for free  food was great bty.
I've been asked to head up the group that is in a aprox 12 mile radius of where I live, I'm supossed to do security. I'm starting by getting a means of communication for the certified members and a low cost way to tie in the associates that will be working tword their certification Funding is limited but there are grants . The thought of being able to get thru road blocks where others would be turned away with out the I.D. seemed to fit my disaster preps nicely. |
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some of you seem to miss the point of CERT and thing its this magic group that will gain you access to just about anything. i will point out to those of you:
CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
translation, if its not in YOUR neighborhood then you're not going to get past road blocks and such. this is not and was not designed to be some untrained form of SAR or disaster relief and if your teacher is telling you that then they are WRONG. CERT is nothing more than a way for you to help your neighbors, it will not give you the power to just report to an incident and give you free reign. reading not only responses in this thread and others it seems the teachers are taking it farther than the program was designed and could lead to problems down the road |
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Quoted:
For the ones that dont have cert see if you have a Baptist Disaster recovery teams in your area if it isnt a conflict with your religious beliefs . They do good work , Im trained in several areas with them. http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c241/Hawk_308/DSCF0862.jpg http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c241/Hawk_308/DSCF0870.jpg Is that at Camp Bethel?....out near Fincastle VA? |
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Its the Concord Baptist Associations carpentry trailer , bethel church bought it and its kept down here not far from south hill va . The camp is stateline where they do normal trainings for the area . Very nice place on the NC Va state line on buggs island lake. |
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YMMV.
Because CERT organizations are made of people with varying degrees of ability and free time they range from worthy resource to laughable impedance. Sometimes they are an adept group with great skills and some times little more than litter bearers that will be on litters before too long. Not even free training was enough enticement for me to endure the petty politics of an AARP power struggle. |
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Quoted:
For the ones that dont have cert see if you have a Baptist Disaster recovery teams in your area if it isnt a conflict with your religious beliefs . They do good work , Im trained in several areas with them. We have sent Jewish and Sikh guys to them for training. It was a joke, "our boss is jewish also." I've never worked with them on site, but they are very well thought of. They along with the Red Cross are probally the two NGOs that EMAs depend on. The Salvation Army does a lot of good work also, but is more niche focused and not as big a presence in the Southeast. |
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Yes, take the class. The skills you learn are basic, but are very worthwhile. Fire safety, using crib blocks, carrying people, first aid, light search & rescue - that kind of stuff.
I took the basic CERT class last year and enjoyed it. I'm waiting for my county emergency management director to get his act together and officially form the team and get some continuing education and training in place. There are roles for virtually everyone. You don't have to be in "firefighter shape" to learn and be useful. One of the people in class was a 100# teenage girl. We had teachers, nurses, utility workers, accountants, tradesmen... little bit of everything. You gain skills for free and you're a little bit closer to the "in crowd" with regards to emergencies. It's win-win. |
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Quoted:
some of you seem to miss the point of CERT and thing its this magic group that will gain you access to just about anything. i will point out to those of you: CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.
translation, if its not in YOUR neighborhood then you're not going to get past road blocks and such. this is not and was not designed to be some untrained form of SAR or disaster relief and if your teacher is telling you that then they are WRONG. CERT is nothing more than a way for you to help your neighbors, it will not give you the power to just report to an incident and give you free reign. reading not only responses in this thread and others it seems the teachers are taking it farther than the program was designed and could lead to problems down the road I guess your area is not quite up to speed we have levels of certification like wilderness rescue, different levels of logistics,planning, part of our team does rapel practice for extreem terain, and yes if your team is called up your going thru those road blocks and going home thru them when your ready for whatever reason with enough training you get called in by fema and get PAID. though that isn't my reason for involvment. |