Frequently Asked Questions About CERT

by Cliff Cheng, Ph.D., KI6CM

Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Ambassador
www.CERTsponsor.s5.com

Red Cross Disaster Education Leader.
http://DisasterPrep.livejournal.com/

Neighborhood Emergency Radio Project

www.NERP.myEweb.net

© 2006 Cliff Cheng, Ph.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CERTsponsor --at-- gmail.com (convert --at-- to @).

Question 1:  What does CERT stand for and what is it?

Answer 1:   CERT stands the Community Emergency Response Team.  It is a training course which teaches the average citizen about disaster preparedness.  They learn about known hazards in their area.  They become trained in basic disaster response skills, i.e. light fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

For more information see:

www.CERTsponsor.s5.com  

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Question 2:  This is fine - but why do I need to do this?  I pay alot of taxes to have these jobs covered. 

Answer 2:   In a major disaster fire and police will be overwhelmed.  They will not be coming to help you.   Please visit www.CERTsponsor.s5.com  and click on the article “We Ain’t Comin’” and then read the article “I Don’t Need to Prepare.”

on http://DisasterPrep.livejournal.com

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Question 3:  I don’t have the time volunteer (or I really don’t want to).  Do you have to volunteer after you take the course? 

Answer 3:   No.  Almost no one volunteers.  Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) has trained almost 50,000 people and less than 300 have volunteered to be on call out teams in a city as large as Los Angeles.   Only 1 out of 166 volunteer.  In practice CERT training is for personal preparedness. 

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Question 4:  How much does it cost to take CERT?

Answer 4:  If Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) is teaching, and in most other places, CERT is free. 

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Question 5:  Can anyone take CERT?

Answer 5:  If Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) is teaching, they must be over 18 year of age.  They do not even have to be a LA city resident. 

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Question 6:  Are there any physical requirements to take CERT? 

Answer 6:  No.  There are no physical fitness requirements.  People who are out of shape or even disabled people often do take CERT. 

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Question 7:  How is the class taught? 

Answer 7:   Lecture mostly.  There is some skills training.  People with disabilities are accommodated.   They however should make prior arrangements. 

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Question 8:  What do I get if I take the course? 

Answer 8   As answered earlier, you get trained on how to handle a disaster.  If Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) is teaching, you will get a graduation certificate signed by the Mayor, your Councilperson, and the Fire Chief.  You will also get a green CERT helmet and vest which identifies you to police and fire as someone with basic training.  (for example see: www.CERTsponsor.s5.com). 

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Question 9:  Will I get a LA City CERT ID card? 

Answer 9:   No.  Those are for volunteers.   If you want one you have to sign up as a volunteer and attend a “refresher” - a day long drill which is held every six months. 

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Question 10:  How long is the course? 

Answer 10:   CERT 1 is 17 hours long. 

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Question 11:  Why is it so long? 

Answer 11:   You are being taught to respond to a disaster in a safe manner.  There simply is too much to cover in an evening or two.  They time is well spent.  Almost everything in the course is useful information you can apply to save your life and others. 

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Question 12:  How are those 17 hours broken down? 

Answer 12:   If you take a Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) course, the class is typically 7 weekday evenings, 7pm to 9:30pm, once a week for 7 weeks.  Sometimes it is 6 evenings if there is a holiday – in which case the class will be from 6:30pm to 9:30pm; class 1 and 7 will be combined. 

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Question 13:  How come they do not teach weekends?  I often have to work late during the week. 

Answer 13:   Budget.  The city does not want to pay overtime. 

While the lack of weekend classes is does not work for most people, Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) does teach the same class any given night of the week, Monday to Thursday, in two to three locations in different parts of the city. 

There are also a few daytime classes.  If you need to, you can take a class at a different time and place.  For example, Dr. Cheng took CERT 1 at four different time slots in four different locations.   LAFD will keep track of your comings and goings.  Many people miss a class or two and make it up in following semesters. 

There are courses taught by other fire departments which meet on weekends.  However those course are for people who live or work in their city.  (see links on: www.CERTsponsor.s5.com). 

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Question 14:  Do I have to go to all 7 classes? 

Answer 14:   Yes, if you want to graduate.  If you want to take additional training, then you need to graduate.  Otherwise you may come and go as you please. 

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Question 15:  How do I find a course near me? 

Answer 15:   You can check in Los Angeles city CERT-LA.com or www.CERTsponsor.s5.com.   You live outside of LA or even southern California, www.CERTsponsor.s5.com has links. 

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Question 16:  Do I have to register ahead of time?  Will the class be cancelled? 

Answer 16:   Yes, please do.  The class may be canceled by lack of registration, lack of funding (to rent the room), or there may not be enough room for you.  You must pre-register and provide your contact information.  If you do not have email, you will not be notified of any changes.  Check your email. 

For Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) classes, we need to have 25 adults in the class or the class will be cancelled.  Please help us get more people to come to the class.  A flyer for the class is on www.CERTsponsor.s5.com.  It behooves you to get your family, neighbors and co-workers prepared.  They will be the ones around you in a disaster.  Turn them into assets! 

Even if you get someone to come only come the first time and decide they do not want to continue, everybody who comes the first two nights helps. 

In some locations, we have little space.  People dropping in risk being turned away for lack of seats. 

In times previous, we have had a 100 sign-ups only to have 14 people actually show up.  Because the course is free, some people are inconsiderate. 

If you need to cancel, please have the courtesy to call.  Remember the volunteer sponsor is unpaid.  Avoid placing extra burdens on the volunteer sponsor by not registering, not return phone calls/emails about registration. 

You need not call after the first night, if you will not be in attendance at a particular class.  Do let us know if you drop out. 

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Question 17:  How is the class funded? 

Answer 17:   Classes taught by the Los Angeles (City) Fire Department (LAFD) are paid for by taxpayers. 

However there are expenses beyond the instructor’s salary.  As Neighborhood Preparedness Ambassador, Dr. Cheng, volunteers for the Los Angeles City Departments of Emergency Preparedness and Neighborhood Empowerment to assist LAFD in setting up CERT courses.  Dr. Cheng sponsors the course, much like a film producer produces a movie. 

Dr. Cheng applies for the permit to rent a room.  He secures funding to pay for the room.  If a neighborhood council is approached for funding he writes a proposal for funding, goes to committee meeting(s), and if approved, then on ward to the whole neighborhood council.  This process can take 3 to 6 months, longer if the item is pushed back on the agenda. 

Meanwhile Dr. Cheng books the instructor.  It can take 4-6 months to book an instructor.  Neighborhoods all over Los Angeles are trying to get classes.  There are not enough instructors to meet demand. 

Once these pieces are in place, Dr. Cheng makes a flyer.  The flyer is posted on a website Dr. Cheng has donated for promoting disaster preparedness www.CERTsponsor.s5.com.  Then he will call and email neighborhood leaders to solicit their support in promoting the course.  Sometimes, Dr. Cheng adds neighborhood organizations as co-sponsors if they help in the process.  He then distributes the flyer on his extensive email list.  After two degrees of distribution, a CERT flyer, with the help of neighborhood leaders, goes out to about 4,000 to 6,000 people. 

Additionally, Dr. Cheng will go to various neighborhood meeting to make announcement and pass out flyers.  He will also post and if possible leave flyers at various neighborhood locations. 

To get a minimum of 25 people, Dr. Cheng will speak to over 500 people who call or email asking for information, people he meets at Farmer’s Markets, neighborhood meetings, disaster preparedness fairs…..  

Frequently Asked Questions About CERT

by Cliff Cheng, Ph.D., KI6CM

Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness Ambassador
www.CERTsponsor.s5.com

Red Cross Disaster Education Leader.
http://DisasterPrep.livejournal.com/

Neighborhood Emergency Radio Project

www.NERP.myEweb.net

© 2006 Cliff Cheng, Ph.D., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
CERTsponsor -–at-- gmail.com (convert -–at— to @).