Orlando, Florida Fire Department Pre-storm Hurricane Training Unit
Chapter 6, Part 1: Pre-storm CERT Operations
In this chapter you will learn about:
- Disaster psychology: Psychological impact of a disaster on rescuers and victims, and how to provide "psychological first aid."
- CERT team organization: How to organize and deploy volunteer resources according to CERT organizational principles.
- Documentation: Strategies for documenting situation and resource status.
Disaster Survival
Introduction
Kate Hale, the Director of Emergency Management for Dade County, Florida said that whether you survive a hurricane or not, is up to the individual. "People have really got to understand how really, really critical it is to be independently capable of survival," she says. While Ms. Hale is speaking of hurricanes, the same maxim holds true for any type of disaster.
A disaster occurs when the local resources are overwhelmed by the demands from those affected by the catastrophe. For a period of time after a disaster no matter what the problem, emergency services are not going to be able to reach you and your family in a timely manner. You as an individual must take matters into your own hands if you and those you care about are going to survive.
This chapter is about the specific steps you can take before, during and after a disaster, no matter what the type, to protect your home and family. While hurricanes will be emphasized in this presentation, many of the steps you will learn will apply to any disaster.