In a major disaster such as an earthquake, it has been a commonly recognized tenet that individual communities may be isolated for 72 hours or more before help can reach them. One of the concepts developed to help communities deal with this potential problem is the concept of Community Emergency Preparedness (CEP). CEP involves teaching local communities self-reliance, especially for the first 72 hours, what to do (and what not to do) following a disaster, appropriate pre-disaster issues that should be addressed, and several other issues that would help a localized community become better prepared to deal with an emergency that isolates them for any length of time.

Family/Community Disaster Preparedness

• Family Emergency Preparedness Plan
• Family Disaster Planning Kit
• Family Disaster Supplies Kit (NFPA/NDEC)
• The Weather Channel Disaster Planning Guide
• Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)
• American Red Cross Family Disaster Planning Guide
  • Financial Planning for Disasters
• Community Preparedness Project Web Site

Community Emergency Response Teams in Illinois

Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.

CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. While people will respond to others in need without the training, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger. 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,
• search for and rescue victims safely,
• organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective,
• collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train volunteers to assist first responders in emergency situations in their communities. CERT members give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.  The role of a CERT volunteer is self-help/neighbor-help until such time as trained first-response personnel arrive.

The CERT course is taught in the community by a trained team of first responders who have completed a CERT Train-the-Trainer course conducted by the IEMA staff, or FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI), located in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  Training of CERT volunteers consists of 20 hours of instruction on topics that include disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations.