For Those of You Who Want More CERT Training...
There are two types of additional training quarterly division trainings and refresher drills, as well as CERT Levels 2 and 3 (See: CERT 3 webpage on this website - as well as www.freewebs.com/ERclass). Basically "if you don't use it, you lose it." Much of CERT 1 is lecture. There is some skills training. However, a prepared individual could always use more skills training and practice. Training opportunities benefit of finishing the CERT 1 course and graduating. These trainings require proof of graduation, i.e. CERT graduation certificate or CERT volunteer ID card.
Quarterly divisional trainings occur every four months. They are on various topics such as: splinting and bandaging, dealing with down power lines, setting up perimeters and traffic control... These trainings usually last from about 7pm to 9pm on a weeknight. There are only four divisions in LA City. You may have to drive several neighborhoods away to get to a training.
Refresher drills are suppose to occur twice yearly but in 2006, there will be only one due to budget cutbacks (see CERT Refresher on this website). These are day long drills in which one will get more training and practice in the topics from CERT 1, i.e. fire supression, search and rescue, medical...
Please see www.cert-LA.com.
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There are also Level II and III CERT courses (See: CERT 3 webpage on this website - as well as www.freewebs.com/ERclass). Notes these course are not taught by the LA (City) Fire Department. If you take these courses, you will be advanced to a higher level of CERT. By going to a higher level of CERT other than being more prepared and better trained.
Level II is a 9 hours of Red Cross courses which includes: Community Services Overview (Course #3068-6), Shelter Operations (Course #3068-11) and Shelter Simulations (Course #3068-12). These courses teach someone how to set-up and run shelters for the large numbers of people who will be homeless after a major disaster. If one is a neighborhood leader, sheltering and feeding will be a key duty in a major disaster. After finishing Level II, one will have 17 hours of Level I and an additional 9 hours of Level II. A CERT 2 has 26 hours of training.
Register for these classes under their Red Cross course name and number. If you ask Red Cross for CERT classes they will not know what you are talking about. Be prepared for last minute class cancellations without notice.
If you do not volunteer for the Red Cross, they may ask you to pay $10 a class. You are encouraged to volunteer for Red Cross and gain valuable experience. You may run across a misunderstanding on the part of some Red Cross leaders who are frustrated that CERT graduates do not volunteer for the Red Cross. Despite being explained the reality is that CERT graduates do not volunteer for CERT teams, we have had complaints from our CERT alumni that Red Cross leaders continue express their frustrations on them. Out of almost 50,000 CERT graduates, less than 300 have volunteered to be on call out teams; 1:167 volunteer. If you do not want to volunteer for the Red Cross and are unwilling to pay $10, then please do not go over there and matters worse.
(see: Additonal - Non-CERT Training).
