Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 109

Community Emergency Response Teams

Some of the public are members of Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) (Franke and Simpson 2004). A CERT is a group of concerned citizens that receive some basic training about disasters from local governments (Figure 2‐8). This enables them to care for their neighbors and coworkers after a disaster and buy time until formal assistance arrives. CERTs are different than certain types of nonprofit organizations in that they have no paid employees. They also have a greater interest in disaster issues than many other community groups.

CERTs first appeared in California in 1985. At this time, it was recognized that first responders would not be able to satisfy all of the needs of survivors who were affected by major earthquakes. Public officials realized that damaged roads, the large numbers of people impacted, and a shortage of trained professionals would prohibit or limit needed care for disaster victims. There was consequently a desire to educate citizens to be self‐sufficient for at least 72 hours after a disaster occurred. The CERT program was accordingly created to provide this type of training to members of the community.

Figure 2‐8 Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) add flexibility to response and recovery operations. After a tornado affected Rowlett, TX, CERT members helped to remove debris. In other disasters, they may fill sandbags, direct traffic or perform other important functions. FEMA.

Since this time, CERTs have been established around the nation by publicizing training opportunities and accepting applications from interested volunteers. CERTs are often created in areas that deserve special attention. This might include a neighborhood that is located far away from city resources, an elderly community that has unique medical needs, and a community college or university that has a transient population. Participants accepted into the CERT program undergo training that usually consists of several 2½ to 4‐hour classes over a 7 or 8‐week period. Classes address the types of disasters that are to be expected, basic preparedness measures, fire suppression techniques, search and rescue operations, disaster medicine, and disaster psychology. After the 9/11 attacks, more attention was given to terrorism and the special situations that they might generate for response and recovery.

The training of CERT teams is funded by government grants. This funding may also help CERT members obtain basic equipment such as hard hats, gloves, and other supplies that might be useful in time of a disaster. Because of this federal support, there are now over 2,700 CERT programs in states throughout the nation. The value of CERTs is increasingly recognized by those involved in EM since they may be able to help victims in need and ease the burden on official first responders.