YOUR NEIGHBORS NEED YOU!

 

The Island of Hawaii’s Community Emergency Response Team [CERT] provides support to first responders [Fire & Police] during an emergency/disaster.  This is an Island wide program with over 25 teams from many neighborhoods. Over the last two years, over 200 Big Islanders took the training program. A number of them went on to create neighborhood teams.

 

Palisades has its own CERT.  After a hurricane, earthquake or other disaster, first responders will be overwhelmed. CERT will provide the first responders with critical support by conducting the initial assessment of our neighborhood. PERT will evaluate damaged buildings and provide basic first aid. When the first responders arrive, PERT will provide them with an invaluable assessment; so those in most need, will get immediate support.

 

CERT Training 

 

COURSE  OVERVIEW   AND OBJECTIVES

 

The purpose of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training is to provide the individuals who complete this course with the basic skills that they will need to respond to their community's immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services are not immediately available.  By working together, CERT members can assist in saving lives and protecting property using the basic techniques in this course.  The target audience for this course is individuals who desire the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and respond to a disaster.

 

Overall  Course Objectives

 

Upon completing this course, the participants should be able to:

 

1.    Describe the types of hazards that are most likely to affect their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

 

2.  Take steps to prepare themselves and their families for a disaster.

 

3.  Describe the functions of CERTs and their role in immediate response.

 

4.  Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.

 

5.  Work as a team to apply basic fire suppression strategies,  resources, and safety measures to extinguish a pan fire.

 

6.  Apply techniques for opening airways, controlling excessive bleeding, and treating for shock.

 

7.  Conduct triage under simulated disaster conditions.

 

8.  Perform head-to-toe patient assessments.

 

9.  Select and set up a treatment area.

 

10. Employ basic treatments for various injuries and apply splints to suspected fractures and sprains.

 

11.  Identify planning and sizeup requirements for potential search and rescue situations.

 

12. Describe the most common techniques for searching a structure.

 

13. Work as a team to apply safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication.

 

14. Describe ways to protect rescuers during search and rescue operations.

 

15. Describe the post-disaster emotional environment and the steps that rescuers can take to relieve their own stressors and those of disaster survivors.

 

16. Describe CERT organization and documentation requirements.

 

Highlighted lines are those objectives applicable for family members just attending CERT training and not necessarily joining a CERT.

Your neighborhood needs volunteers to step forward and attend CERT training. This important training is provided by our Island’s Fire Professionals.  CERT members are trained to perform all the needed tasks in a 27 hour hands on training course.  The CERT program started in Los Angeles and their website http://www.cert-la.com/index.shtml provides you with a basic understanding of the program.  CERT training will be conducted twice annually on the West Side of the island.  Training is usually conducted on four consecutive Saturdays.

 

For more information contact the numbers at the bottom of the page.

 

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PERT also has a critical need for ham radio operators.  During an island wide or state wide event, ham radio operators are one of the primary communications links between any number of needed emergency and critical services. Most of the island wide CERT teams have ham radio operators as team members. 

 

Mapping

 

A critical aspect of emergency planning in any community, is mapping.  Mapping means to identify persons that may need help following a disaster, and to identify local resources available in the community.  Examples: [not limited to] chain saws, heavy equipment, generators, etc. Critical people resources are first aid, elderly care, plumbers/electricians, etc.  Call the PERT team lead to add to our mapping process.

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Lisa Oroc, POC, Palisades CERT Team 808-345-8645   

Bill Hanson   County Civil Defense   935-0031