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ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 1 of 7 Creative Contributions Instructor Guide to Unit Seven: CERT Organization 1. The goal of this unit is to provide participants to understand the organizational patterns used in CERT when they are activated as a team. It links CERT to the emergency management response and recovery structure. 2. This is the content for Unit Seven: a. The goals of on-scene emergency management 10 minutes b. The goals of CERT organizational structure 5 minutes c. Incident Command 15 minutes d. CERT Decision Making 5 minutes e. CERT Documentation 10 minutes f. Activity 15 minutes 3. Unit seven is scheduled for one hour: Time spent on each unit can be maneuvered by dropping content and referring to its placement in the take-home materials. This permits flexibility on the part of the instructor and encourages participants to question or discuss course matters. It also holds the instructor to the time limit for the unit without expecting participants to stay overtime or to have instructors who follow to give up their time. 4. Supplies needed for Unit Seven: LCD projector Computer linked to LCD projector Computer disk containing Unit Seven power point presentation Instructor Guide for Unit Seven Participant’s Manual for CERT 5. Instructional staffing requirements: One instructor is required for this unit. Team teaching is encouraged. 6. Creative Contributions In the column to the right of each of the slides in this unit, there is space to take notes on teaching techniques that are fun, funky, and innovative. Use the classroom time in this train-the-trainer course to share ideas on how to reach people with different learning styles. Seal good ideas, generate some yourself, and utilize other’s ideas as a foundation to develop new training techniques that benefit all course participants! ---PAGE BREAK--- ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 2 of 7 Creative Contributions Community Emergency Response Training Unit Seven CERT Organization Community Emergency Response Training Overview and Objectives • This unit explains the organizational patterns used in CERT • It explains how it fits into the emergency management response and recovery structure • Describe CERT Organization • Identify how CERT personnel interrelate with the Incident Command System • Explain CERT documentation requirements 1. Community Emergency Response Teams are formed by community members and are designed to prepare individuals to help themselves, their families and neighbors in the event of a catastrophic disaster. CERT members receive basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills which improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance arrives. Even if participants do not join a CERT team they will leave the training with basic disaster survival and rescue skills to help themselves, members of their household, and work teams. ---PAGE BREAK--- ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 3 of 7 Creative Contributions Community Emergency Response Training On-Scene Emergency Management • Maintain the safety of disaster workers • Provide clear leadership and organizational structure • Improve the effectiveness of rescue efforts 2. CERT roles in recent disasters are covered on page 3 of 23 in Unit Seven of the Participant’s Manual. As volunteers, CERT members functioning in emergency services are generally protected by “Good Samaritan” laws that protect people who provide emergency care in a prudent and reasonable manner. Know the state laws for good Samaritans for your area. Community Emergency Response Training CERT Organizational Structure Goals • Effective communication • Common terminology • Well defined management structure • Accountability • Action plans • Manageable span of control 3. CERT organizational framework is flexible, it can expand or contract depending on the on-going assessment priorities determined by the Incident Commander (IC), and people and resources available. This expansion and contraction helps ensure rescuer safety, doing the greatest good for the greatest number, manageable span of control and accountability of personnel. ---PAGE BREAK--- ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 4 of 7 Creative Contributions Community Emergency Response Training CERT Organizational Structure Goals in a Disaster • Identify scope of incident • Determine strategy • Deploys teams and resources • Documents actions and results 4. CERT Incident Commanders must continually prioritize response activities based on the team’s capability and training and the principle that rescuer safety is the number-one concern. CERT functional leadership assigns activities and accounts for team members. CERT team members work in the buddy system and respond based on their size-up of the situations that they encounter. Community Emergency Response Training Incident Command System • Organizational system for emergency management, fire departments and law enforcement agencies. • Is flexible • Ensures rescuer safety • Manageable span of control • Accountability of personnel • Do the greatest good for the greatest number 5. The basic Incident Command System (ICS) structure is established by the person who arrives first to the scene, who becomes the Incident Commander. Initially, the Incident Commander may handle all of the command positions shown in the visual, but as the incident evolves, may assign personnel as the operations chief, logistics chief, planning chief or administration chief. ---PAGE BREAK--- ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 5 of 7 Creative Contributions Community Emergency Response Training Incident Command System Incident Commander Operations Section Chief Logistics Section Chief Planning Section Chief Administration Section Chief 6. The ICS system is also found in a chart in Unit Seven, page 8 of 23 Visual One As the incident expands, it may be necessary to assign other personnel in each section to handle specific aspects of the response while maintaining an effective span of control. Community Emergency Response Training CERT Decision Making • Mobilization • Rescuer Safety • Incident at hand IC A L O P 7. Use the chart in Unit Seven, pages 11, 12 and 13 to highlight this slide. CERT Mobilization – Following the incident, CERT members take care of themselves, their families, their homes, and their neighbors. If the Standard Operating Procedure calls for self-activation, CERT members proceed to the pre-designated staging area with their disaster supplies. The first CERT member at the staging area becomes the initial IC for the response. As other CERT members arrive, the CERT IC may pass leadership to someone more qualified. ---PAGE BREAK--- ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 6 of 7 Creative Contributions Rescuer safety is paramount. Community Emergency Response Training CERT Documentation • Need for documentation • Each level of authority has responsibilities • Forms of documentation – Damage assessment survey – Personnel resources form – Equipment resources form – Incident briefing – Message form – Incident status record – Victim treatment area record 8. It is vital to document and communicate information about the disaster situation and resource status. Efficient flow of information makes it possible for resources to be deployed effectively and for professional emergency services to be applied appropriately. Under the CERT organization, each level of authority has documentation responsibilities: Pages 15 through 21 of Unit Seven have documentation forms commonly used by CERT teams. Community Emergency Response Training ICS Activity • Using your knowledge about the five Incident Command System functions, decide which function the following activities would fall. Some activities may involve more than one function to be completed. • Work as a group. 9. This activity is found in the Participant’s Manual in Unit Seven on page 22 of 23. It is good to review the activity before you present it, so you know the answers. The discussion that occurs during this activity should help clarify the academic material presented previously. ---PAGE BREAK--- ACCESSIBLE CERT TRAIN-THE-TRAINER UNIT SEVEN CERT ORGANIZATION Page 7 of 7 Creative Contributions Community Emergency Response Training CERT Roles in recent disasters • Northridge earthquake • Florida hurricanes Port Charlotte, FL, September 19, 2004 CERT is part of the FEMA organized "Operation Rebuild", a gathering about storm resistant construction techniques held in Port Charlotte for residents affected by Hurricane Charley. Photographer - Mark Wolfe 10. CERT activities are not limited to the response phase of a disaster, they can be applied for preparedness, response, or recovery. This slide shows how CERT members shared information about mitigation with the community as it was beginning to rebuild. Community Emergency Response Training 11. Announcements before the participants are dismissed: If your CERT class continues on the same day, take your break and return to this classroom. Or If your CERT class continues on another day (next week or next month) Your Homework Assignment is to read Unit Eight: Disaster Communication.