1. Introduction to Emergency Communication Working Directly With the Public Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)  The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people 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.  Using training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help.  CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.  CERT is not a function or requirement of Amateur Radio, but coupling a Ham’s emergency radio communications capability with CERT makes a powerful contribution to the community

2. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) (Continued) o The basic CERT trainings include:  * IS-317: Introduction to CERTs and the CERT Basic Training Course  Topics include an Introduction to CERT, Fire Safety, Hazardous Material and Terrorist Incidents, Disaster Medical Operations, and Search and Rescue.  Takes between four and eight hours to complete the course.  Those who successfully finish it will receive a certificate of completion.  IS-317 can be taken by anyone interested in CERT.  This course is taken at http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cert/IS317/ http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cert/IS317/  Your progress will be remembered if using the same computer, so you can go at your pace  There is a final exam at the end at http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cc/editIS317.do, and this is also where you will carefully enter your name for how it will appear on your certificate of completion of this course. http://www.citizencorps.fema.gov/cc/editIS317.do  You receive 8 hours of credit from Homeland Security for this course

3. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) (Continued)  To become a CERT volunteer, one must complete the classroom training offered by a local government agency, which for us is the Unified Fire Authority  To UFA now offers a 5 (five) Weeknights CERT training class or a 2 (two) Saturday CERT training class.  Both require participants to complete the online IS-317 introduction to CERT prior to the first day of class.  Bring your IS-317 Certificate of Completion and $30 registration fee to the first class.  Check the UFA schedule and register on-line http://www.unifiedfire.org/divisions/community/cert.aspx. http://www.unifiedfire.org/divisions/community/cert.aspx