Printer Friendly Version

After an earthquake or other disaster, emergency response agencies might not be able to get to your neighborhood immediately. Forming a community response team can greatly improve your capabilities, resources, and comfort under disaster conditions.

• Learn first aid
• Learn basic search-and-rescue
• Learn simple firefighting techniques
• Learn to assess your home and workplace for hazards or damage.
• Learn to assess your community for hazards, and available resources

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates citizens about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area, and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

People who go through CERT training have a better understanding of the potential threats to their home, workplace and community and can take the right steps to lessen the effects of these hazards on themselves, their homes or workplace. CERT members can apply the training learned in the classroom and during exercises to give critical support to their family, loved ones, neighbors or co-workers in their immediate area until help arrives. When help does arrive, CERT members provide useful information to responders and support their efforts, as directed, at the disaster site.

AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross offers classes in first aid, CPR Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) designed to give you the confidence to respond in an emergency situation with skills that can save a life.

Training in bloodborne pathogens, oxygen administration and injury prevention can be added to CPR and first aid training to prepare you to prevent and respond to life-threatening emergencies.

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

The American Heart Association offers courses that include CPR for Friends and Family, Heartsaver First Aid, CPR and the Heartsaver AED courses. These courses teach the basic techniques of adult CPR and how to use an AED. The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is most commonly found in airports, convention centers, and other public areas, and is available for those trained to use the device.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

American Heart Association
Find an Emergency Cardiovascular Class
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3012360

American Heart Association Recommends
Emergency Training for Schools
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3018093

American Red Cross
Disaster Preparedness for Children (English and Spanish) http://www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/childmtlsprt.pdf

Health and Safety Services
http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/

Centers for Disease Control
Emergency and Risk Communication Training
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/erc/training.asp

Community Emergency Response Team
CERT Training
http://lafd.org/cert.htm

Los Angeles Count Office of Emergency Management
Learn First Aid and CPR
http://lacoa.org/PDF/03-09_Learn-First-Aid-and-CPR.pdf