CERT-LA - Community Emergency Response Team

CERT Los Angeles

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"You Can't Predict...But You Can Prepare"

Welcome to the Community Emergency Response Team Home Page.
Bookmark this Page NOW for easy future return.

This site is "Of CERT, By CERT, and For CERT Graduates." While we work closely with the Los Angeles Fire Department Disaster Preparedness Section, we who created this site and maintain it are CERT graduates and volunteers. We are not an official part of the LAFD. Our goal is to provide information, a forum for discussion, and a point of contact between Community Emergency Response Teams and CERT members everywhere.
Questions, ideas or suggestions? Let us know!

NEWS

Fires in Los Angeles Area

LAFD CERT graduates: We have received several inquiries today about responding to the fires. If you are in a fire area, follow official instructions. If you are not in a fire area, do not self-activate. CERT Call-Out Teams have been activated. Only Call-Out Team members may respond.

CERT Refresher

The next CERT Refresher will be held on Sunday, November 16, at LAFD Fire Station 88 in Sherman Oaks. Come practice and refresh the skills you learned during your CERT Training.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut is a week of special events featuring the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history, organized to inspire Southern Californians to get ready for big earthquakes and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.

The main event is on November 13, when millions of Southern Californians will "Drop, Cover, and Hold On". Learn more and register to participate at www.ShakeOut.org

Triangle of Life?

Recently, an email has been circulating again which describes an alternative to the long-established "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" advice.

The so-called "triangle of life" and some of the other actions recommended in the email are potentially life threatening, and the credibility of the source of these recommendations has been questioned.

Federal, state, and local emergency management experts in the United States, the Red Cross, and other official preparedness organizations all agree that "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" is the appropriate action to reduce injury and death during earthquakes.

A compilation of rebuttals from many organizations to these alternative recommendations, as well as news articles about the controversy, is online at the Southern California Earthquake Center's page at http://www.earthquakecountry.info/dropcoverholdon (on the sidebar of that page).

Please do not forward any Triangle of Life emails.

Also let your friends, neighbors and organizations know.

LAFD CERT Photo ID Cards

The LAFD CERT program DOES NOT issue photo ID cards for graduates of other CERT programs.

Only one photo ID card will be issued for each person. Photo ID Card Policy: If yours was lost or stolen or is missing, you must present a copy of a police report indicating the loss to get a new one.

1. CERT photo ID cards are created at every LAFD CERT Biannual Refresher.

2. If you have signed up for a Division Call-Out Team, you can have your ID picture taken at a Quarterly Division Training. Bring a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the class, so your ID card can be mailed to you.

Check our News Blog!

We also have blogs for each of the battalions.

NEW TO CERT?	What is CERT?	Why do the CERT training? How do I join? How did CERT start?
	CERT Syllabus	A flyer with description of the CERT classes. Also available in Spanish
	Current CERT Trainings	If you haven't taken the CERT training yet, or you know someone who wants to, or you want to review one class or all seven - we have lots of classes on our schedule. CERT is provided free of charge within the city of Los Angeles to anyone 18 or over. Classes are taught mornings, afternoons and evenings continually throughout the year in locations all over Los Angeles. Click on the link on the left to see the currently scheduled trainings. You can check a map of the Los Angeles area to see upcoming LAFD and LA County Sheriff CERT classes. If you miss a class, you can go to any other location to make it up. Fill out the Operational Area Make-up Class Form, have the make-up class instructor sign it, and return the completed form to your original training agency. To schedule a class for your group, you need a minimum of 25 people to be trained and a location to hold the training. Then call the Disaster Preparedness Section at 818-756-9674.
	CERT Community Meetings	Meet CERT graduates and find out more about what we're doing. CERT Community Meetings are open to the public. Go to the Community Teams page to find out what your battalion is. Monday, November 17 6:00 pm -7:00 pm : Battalion 7 Neighborhood Team Leader Meeting Monday, December 1 6:00 pm -7:00 pm : Battalions 3, 6 & 13 CERT Community Meeting
	Disaster Awareness Course	The Los Angeles Fire Department's Disaster Awareness Course was developed because of the need to educate the Citizens of Los Angeles in Disaster Preparedness. This 3 1/2 hour training course will provide an overview of basic Disaster Preparedness and serve as an introduction to the comprehensive, 17 1/2 hour, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training. The Disaster Awareness Course is designed to fit the needs of various types of people or groups. The training provides these people with the information to help themselves, family, and co-workers during times of disaster.
	CERT Manuals	CERT Participant Manuals in English and Spanish.
CERT GRADUATES
	CERT Refresher November 16	The next CERT Refresher will be held on Sunday, November 16, at LAFD Fire Station 88 in Sherman Oaks. Come practice and refresh the skills you learned during your CERT Training.
	Community Teams	Would you like to meet other CERT graduates in your community, find out what others are doing, and get extra training? Get in touch with the local contact person for your area and check the CERT Community Meetings calendar!
	Quarterly Division Trainings	The Quarterly Division Trainings provide either new CERT-related training topics or review existing CERT topics to increase the "Ready Responsiveness" of our CERT teams. We offer one topic, three times, in three different locations in Los Angeles (once in each of our City Fire Divisions) over a 3-month period. That way, CERT members have three different opportunities to attend the training in three different locations. We offer four training topics each year. Monday, November 17 7:00 pm -9:00 pm : Quarterly Division Training - Lessons Learned from the Metrolink Train Crash Division 2 Tuesday, December 2 7:00 pm -9:00 pm : Quarterly Division Training - Lessons Learned from the Metrolink Train Crash Division 3
	Clarification of Opportunities	What's the difference between a volunteer event and a CERT event? What forms do I need to fill out? Who can participate?
	CERT Email List	If you'd like to keep informed of events, drills, changes to the website, or new opportunities that become available, please send us your name and email address. (The LAFD respects the confidentiality of any information you gave when you registered for your CERT training, and this website has no access to that information.) Also let us know if you're a CERT graduate or if you're still considering it or if you're from another city. Thank you!
	CERT Forms	All eight CERT forms in English and Spanish.
	Learn More about the LAFD	The February 2005 LAFD newsletter, Fire Watch, had an extensive piece on CERT. Find out more about the LAFD with other LAFD Fire Watch newsletters. The Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial offers one of the most exciting, realistic, and valuable fire service experiences available anywhere in the world, with two museum facilities, plus our new memorial plaza and the Fallen Firefighter Memorial.
ADVANCED CERT	Levels 2 and 3	For Fulfilling Our Mission, Mass Care: An Overview, Shelter Operations and Shelter Simulation classes, go to the Red Cross Disaster Training Schedule (When you go to a class, let the instructor know you are with CERT!) Saturday, February 21 Emergency Response Class (Level 3) American Red Cross
	Division Call-out Teams	Call-out Teams respond to local incidents when they are requested by LAFD Incident Commanders. If you're already on a call-out team, please sign up for the new Division Call-Out Teams and download the updated Call-Out System and Call-Out Assignment! Effective 04/01/08: Each Call-Out Team member shall: have a LAFD CERT ID card have a DSW call-out sticker on the back of their ID been sworn in as a Disaster Service Worker with the LAFD CERT Unit attend at least two Quarterly Division Trainings per year
	Drills, Events and Opportunities	Check the CERT Calendar for other ways to participate.

CERT INFORMATION	Other CERT Programs	Find information on CERT in all 50 states, in high schools, colleges and universities, Teen SERT, CERT for educators, territorial CERT, international CERT and CERT support groups.
	CERT Program Ideas	Basic Training Ideas, CERT Refresher Ideas, Recruiting and Retaining CERT Members, Uses of CERT in Emergencies, Uses of CERT in Non-Emergencies To stop recent spam attacks, you must register to post new messages. If you think of any other subjects, let us know.
	CERT Resources	CERT Article in Fire Watch, CERT Standard Operating Procedures, START - Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment, CERT Incident Command System, Starting and Maintaining a CERT Program, Lifts and Carries handout, CERT Trifold Wallet Card, Spontaneous Volunteers, 2003 Citizen Corps Survey of U.S. Households, The Connection, Making Triangle Bandages, Backboards and Splints, Building Backboards, Building Shelves for your Emergency Equipment Cache, Moulage Information Uses of CERT in Emergencies and Non-Emergencies have been moved to the CERT Program Ideas page.
	CERT Manuals	CERT Participant Manuals in English and Spanish, CERT Instructor Guides (in English only), and CERT Visuals (PowerPoint) in English and Spanish.
	CERT Forms	All eight Los Angeles CERT forms in English and Spanish, and also forms with no logos for other agencies.
	CERT Conferences	Look for CERT / Citizen Corps conferences around the country.
PUBLIC SAFETY INFORMATION	Preparedness	Disaster supply checklists, home/personal/business preparedness
	Other Languages	Preparedness, terrorism, natural disasters and special needs materials in many other languages
	Terrorism	Anthrax, smallpox, biological threats, chemical threats, nuclear threats, radiological threats, bomb threats, nuclear power plants, electromagnetic pulse, decontamination, explosions, the Homeland Security Advisory System and preparedness activities for each level
	Natural Disasters and Risks	Africanized honey bees, carbon monoxide, drought, earthquakes, emergency water shortage, fires, floods (and sandbagging), heat waves, hurricanes, landslides, lightning, thunderstorms, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires, windstorms, winter storms
	Special Considerations	Animals, automated external defibrillator (AED), blackouts, chain saw safety, flu (pandemic and avian), hazardous materials in the home, children's interests, evacuation, shelter in place, swimming pool safety, SARS, secure furniture, strap water heater, mental health, special needs (children, seniors, disabled)
HAM RADIO	The Emergency Operations Organization of the City of Los Angeles has designated the Los Angeles Fire Department to manage its amateur radio program under the Auxiliary Communication Service agreement with the State Office of Emergency Services. The Fire Chief has authorized the group to enroll up to 500 licensed Hams to be trained to back up the Department's 800-MHz radio system, provide radio support to CERT members, their families and their Battalion leadership and 40-meter support to USAR for passing health and welfare traffic. If you are a licensed amateur radio operator who desires to serve the Department and the community, tune in to the LAFD-ACS NET on Monday evenings at 1930. Those interested can check in on or listen to 147.30 MHz (+) PL-110 or 224.68 MHz (-) PL-114. Contact Captain Kevin Nida, the Los Angeles Fire Department's City Radio Officer at (213) 978-3536 or e-mail him at kevin.nida@lacity.org.

Non-Discrimination Policy

The LAFD CERT Training only conducts non-discriminatory classes.
Non-discrimination includes race, religion, gender, and group affiliations.
For full text of the Policy as stated to the Instructors, please read non-discrimination.pdf

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services, and activities. For additional information, please contact the Los Angeles Fire Department, Disaster Preparedness Section, at 818-756-9674 (Voice), 213-473-7704 (TDD), or lafdcert@lacity.org (Email).

Community Emergency Response Team Unit, LAFD Disaster Preparedness Section
818-756-9674 lafdcert@lacity.org

web site: www.cert-la.com cert-la@usa.net
Copyright © 1999, 2008, by CERT-LA. All rights reserved

updated: 22 October 2008