1. CERT Program Update December 2008

2. 2 National CERT Program Update Your Questions Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Today Program Successes Current Challenges What to Watch for in 2009

3. CERT Program Today CERT is a training program that prepares citizens to safely assist their families, neighbors, co- workers, or anyone who needs help in the event of a widespread emergency when professional responders may not be able to reach everyone as soon as help is needed.

4. CERT Program Today Over 3,105 local CERT Programs Every state and territory Typically supported through Federal Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funding and/or support from local jurisdictions Local programs typically sponsored by fire department, or emergency management or law enforcement agency

6. Current CERT Program Successes Activation/deployment of CERTs Continued increase in number of local CERT Programs (22% average annual growth over past four years) Expansion of CERT training for specific groups (high schools, colleges and universities, private sector)

7. Current CERT Program Challenges Limited resources Maintenance of CERTs and CERT members Credibility for CERTs as a community resource Quality of CERT training and CERT trainer training Access to information on good ideas and best practices

8. National CERT Priorities FY08-09 Continue to support rapid expansion of the program at the local level Support tailored delivery of CERT training to specific groups Expand tools and other support to help maintain established local programs

9. 9 What to Watch for in 2009 Updated basic CERT training and materials New CERT Train-the-Trainer Course Job aids for delivering basic training to target groups Supplemental training modules and materials New CERT Program Manager Course CERT website update

10. CERT Basic Training Course Update basic course content: –Assure all protocols are current and sufficiently detailed Update course materials: –Format Participant Manual (PM) for easier reproduction –Create version of PM for use by those with low vision –Overhaul PowerPoint files –Complete and post five new training videos Due 1 st Quarter 2009

12. CERT Basic Training Course Skill sets remain the same in updated course: 1.Home, family, workplace preparedness 2.Incident size-up, fire extinguishers, utilities, hazmat awareness 3.Treating life-threatening injuries 4.Treating common injuries, medical treatment areas, public health considerations 5.Light search & rescue 6.ICS, team organization and operation 7.Disaster psychology 8.Terrorism awareness 9.Final exercise

15. CERT Train-the-Trainer Course Develop standard curriculum and course materials for states and regions conducting Train-the-Trainer Course –Assure T-T-T Course trains trainers –Develop prerequisites for T-T-T participants Three pilots completed November 2008 Due 1 st Quarter 2009

16. Job Aids for Training Target Groups Develop standard annexes to CERT Instructor Guide on how to deliver basic CERT training to target groups: Teen CERT Campus CERT –Workplace CERT (due 1 st Quarter 2009) –Tribal CERT (due 3 rd Quarter 2009) –All-Abilities CERT (due 3 rd Quarter 2009)

18. Supplemental Training Modules Develop new training modules to supplement basic CERT training –Local programs solicited for training they’ve developed and would be willing to donate, and topics they would like included among supplemental modules 3 new modules due 1 st Quarter 2009 –Animal Response I –Animal Response II –CERT Emergency Communications 3 additional new modules due 3 rd Quarter 2009

19. CERT Program Manager Course Develop new curriculum and course materials on CERT program management A range of management skills and best practices, e. g.: –Identifying program goals –Resource procurement (funding, political support, trainer cadre, etc.) –Marketing CERT –Managing and retaining CERT volunteers –CERT team-building –Integrating CERT into local emergency operations –Program administration and evaluation Due 3 rd Quarter 2009

20. National CERT Website Overhaul and refurbish website –Revised and new training materials –Revised IS 317 “Introduction to CERT” online –CERT Search & Rescue Tutorial –National CERT Newsletter (quarterly) –“CERT in Action” stories on emergency and non- emergency activation of Teams –New CERT Program registry http://www.citizencorps.gov/CERT/

21. 21 National CERT Program Update Your Questions Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Today Program Successes Current Challenges What to Watch for in 2009

22. Questions/Comments

23. FEMA Region One Timothy Looby Community Outreach Branch National Preparedness Division FEMA/Department of Homeland Security Timothy.looby@dhs.gov