Starting a CERT Program
Step 4: Acquiring Training Materials
Words of Advice: Tips for Acquiring Training Materials
Frank Lucier - San Francisco, California
Be Creative
When we first started we borrowed almost everything from the local firehouse. We would pick it up before class and return it immediately after. Either that or the instructors brought things from home. For cribbing materials we used wood from an old deck that I had replaced in my back yard. Bottom line: it's nice to have new things but be creative when you start out.
Stew Anderson - Natrona County, Wyoming
Identify Your Resource Needs
Begin by identifying the resources you'll need. Typical CERT resources include:
- A comfortable training room.
- An outdoor training facility.
- A computer with PowerPoint and a projector.
- FEMA student manuals.
- Hands-on equipment such as first-aid equipment, cribbing supplies, blocks of concrete, etc.
- Safety equipment for the students such as helmets, goggles, masks, vests, etc.
Joe Lowry - Memphis, Tennessee
Develop Handouts
The FEMA training material covers all the essential skills a CERT needs. With a bit of tailoring to address local hazards and communities, the materials work well.
In addition to the training materials, we use handouts covering everything that we want the people to know something about.