CERT Educational Review

1.     Search & Rescue Review: (Unit 2 & 7) First and foremost check yourself 1st. Are you safe? Unable to help others if you’re hurt/ a victim.

• Search & rescue consists of 3 parts: a) “Size-up” assessment; b) Search for survivors; c) Rescue & extricate.

• How do you decide to attempt a rescue: a) What are the risks involved?; b) Overall goal(s); c) Recollect, what are your resources / labor available (i.e. walkie-talkies).

• What is the “buddy system”: Protection for one another/ the eyes & ears for one another.

• What are 4 goals to Search & Rescue: a) Rescue the greatest number of people in the shortest amount of time, but not at the risk of own safety; b) Walk the wounded out first; c) Rescue lightly trapped survivors next; d) Keep rescuers & survivors safe.

2.     9-Step Size-up Model: (Unit 2 & 7)

• Gather Facts: Is it during a heatwave in July or rainstorm in winter? Is it during the middle of the night or rush hour? Are you at home vs. at Stater Brothers market? Does is matter – it may, be observant of as much as possible occurring around you.

• Assess Damage: Is it light damage vs. heavy damage? A simple assessment is to look out your front door to assess how does your neighborhood look like? If it’s heavy damage, or you are not sure, then consider it heavy damage and do not enter.

• Consider Possibilities/ Probabilities: How stable is the situation? Can the situation worsen? If the situation was a 6.5 earthquake, ask yourself what are the chances of aftershocks? (Think it through, preferably with the group around you).

• Assess Your Situation: Is the situation safe enough to continue? Is there a consensus with the group around you, to continue or go back? In an attempt to help, never place anyone at risk. Available resources around? (walkie-talkies).

• Establish Priorities: a) Safety of CERT volunteers (#2 Sign-in form. Be sure you are signed in so you don’t become a victim if you do not report back in a timely manner); b) Life safety for survivors/ others (#3 CERT Assignment Tracking Log); c) Protection of environment; d) Protection of property.

• Make Decisions: Decide who will be on the 2- or 3-member search & rescue team. If enough volunteers are available, send out 2 search & rescue teams in opposite directions (#1 Damage Assessment forms).

• Develop a Plan: Search & rescue team(s) going out in opposite directions and document on #1 Damage Assessment form. Return to Command Center at the designated time (30-60 minutes).

• Take Action: Implement the plan; don’t just talk about it, do something and document what you are doing (#1Damage Assessment form, #5 Treatment of Medical Events record, #6 Communications Log, #7 Equipment Inventory).

• Evaluate Progress: Is what you did, did it work? How can it be made better? What are the other volunteers or the group saying or complaining about? Listen to the complaints.