CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
Norfolk is a participant in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. The program trains volunteers to help themselves and others in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, and to provide directed-assistance to public safety and City officials in the aftermath.
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CERT programs recognize two important factors in major disasters:
- There will be times when the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. A high number of victims, communication failures, road blockages and flooding are among the impediments to quick fire and police response.
- Under these kinds of conditions, family members, fellow employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other. This was the case in 1985 when a magnitude 8.1 earthquake devastated Mexico City. Untrained, spontaneous volunteers saved 800 people in the days following the quake. However, 100 people lost their lives while attempting to save others. This is a high price to pay and is preventable through training.
CERT provides an all-risk, all-hazard training. Not only do volunteers learn how to help in their neighborhood, they learn some basic skills – such as how to shut off water and gas utilities and practice in using a fire extinguisher – that can prevent injury or damage in their own home.
The idea to train volunteers from the community to assist emergency service personnel during large natural disasters began. In February of 1985, a group of Los Angeles City officials went to Japan to study its extensive earthquake preparedness plans. The group encountered an extremely homogenous society that had taken extensive steps to train entire neighborhoods in one aspect of alleviating the potential devastation that would follow a major earthquake. These single-function neighborhood teams were trained in fire suppression, light search and rescue operations, first aid, and evacuation.
We currently have 450 Norfolk residents and employees who have completed Norfolk CERT. The goal is to have trained volunteers in every neighborhood.
In the CERT training, citizens learn to:
- manage utilities and put out small fires,
- treat the three medical killers by opening airways,
- controlling bleeding, and treating for shock,
- provide basic medical aid,
- assist in searching for and rescue victims safely,
- and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.
Once trained, CERT volunteers are called on for other functions, including assisting at major City events and passing out preparedness information. CERT volunteers also participate in City- and region-wide training exercises.
Please call (757) 441-5600 to register.
CERT in Action around the country
CERT training videos
