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AddisonCounty
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) By-Laws
Mission Statement:
To educate citizens to be prepared to take care of themselves, family, friends and neighbors in the event of a disaster of any type until trained emergency responders can arrive. To establish Community Emergency Response Teams as emergency management resources, volunteer pools to help during an emergency and to perform projects that improve a community’s preparedness. Individual team members may only perform to the level that they have been trained under the direction of the Team Leader. Such assistance may include light search and rescue, damage assessment, documentation, communications, shelter management, traffic control, security/comfort in time of need, as well as staffing anEmergencyOperationsCenter and MobileCommandCenter.
CERT can only be activated by Vermont Emergency Management.A request may be made by any Incident Commander, Emergency Manager or group. CERT members understand that they are not first responders and that their safety is of primary importance.
Goals:
- Organize and conduct CERT training classes within AddisonCounty to increase the ranks of team members.
- Promote the establishment and maintenance of effective lines of communication between CERT and the appropriate Incident Command System within AddisonCounty.
- Equip and supply CERT Team members to achieve their maximum potential to save lives and property when called upon.
- Publicize CERT activities and programs to promote the awareness and support for them among the various government entities, businesses, communities and individuals of AddisonCounty.
- Be a trained resource to any Vermont Incident Command System if called upon.
- Strive to increase the level of disaster preparedness in all communities in Addison county and foster relationships with other CERT organizations.
CERT Operation:
The CERT will report to the Chairman of the Addison County LEPC #8.
Chain of Command:
Vermont Emergency Management
CERT Director /Team Leader
CERT Coordinator
Training Coordinator
Outreach Coordinator
Scribe
Procurement Officer /Quartermaster
Members
- CERT Director /Team Leader shall be responsible for the day to day tasks and activities and be primary Point Of Contact (POC) for the organization. He /She shall also organize and chair all CERT Meetings.
- CERT Coordinator shall assist in coordinating all of the various CERT activities.
- Training Coordinator shall pursue and organize ongoing training for CERT.
- Outreach Coordinator shall pursue and coordinate outreach to the community and the emergency response agencies on the mission and goals of CERT. In doing so, it is hoped that it will give a more complete understanding of CERT and that others will be encouraged to join the ranks of the team through ongoing training.
- Scribe shall take attendance at any meeting of the organization and maintain a roster.
- Procurement Officer /Quartermaster:Shall be responsible for inventory, location, material condition and readiness of any equipment (other than CERT Packs and contents) acquired by the AddisonCountyCERT.
- Members must complete the CERT Training Course which is offered at no cost. Members must try to be available to the team for activation and show an effort to attend meetings and training.
Protocol for Activation of CERT:
I.CERT can only be activated by Vermont Emergency Management. A request may be made by any Incident Commander, Emergency Manager or group.
II.POC will be:
CERT Director /Team Leader
CERT Coordinator
Training Coordinator
Scribe
III.Information needed for Team Assignment:
- Determine what is needed for Team Assignment and Team qualifications.
- How many people are needed?
- Location of staging area or other location that the Team is to report to.
- Who the Team will report to.
- A call back number if more information is required, and the name of an individual to speak to as a contact.
IV. Call out will be initiated by telephone with the contacted member
contacting the next person on the list until the goals of the activation
are accomplished.
CERT Activation Guidelines:
A CERTTeam will consist of (five or however many) members trained to the level of their activation.
- The first Team Member to arrive at the assigned Incident Command Location will assume Command of the Team as well as record the names and times of arrival of His /Her Team Members.His /Her duties will continue until the arrival of Senior Leadership. Once the Team has assembled, the Team Leader will report to the On-Scene Incident Commander to receive assignment.
- Team Leaders are responsible for the mission and safety of their unit, and will record all appropriate information needed (or designate appropriate personnel to do so). The Team Leader is the Safety Officer for his Team unless/
until he assigns the position to another team member.
The Team is also subject to the rulings of the Incident Safety Officer.
- The Team Leader will assign a designation for the unit to use in the Incident Command System (ICS). The designation of the Team will be CERT-1 for the first Team CERT-2 for the second Team, etc.
- The Team Leader will brief the Team on their assignment and on their assigned roles. The Team Leader will record all assignments and any information that may go along with it. The Team Leader is responsible for the Team at all times.
- The Team Leader will be POC to the On-Scene Incident Commander for the Team.
- Team members will report to the Team Leader for any problems or discussions that cannot be made in field with the agency they are assigned to.
- On termination of assignment through the On-Scene Incident Commander, the Team will report to the Incident Staging Area.
- Each Team Leader on termination of assignment will account for His /Her Team Members and collect any information that has been gathered. The Team Leader will also notify Emergency Management as to the status of the Response.
- All Teams will debrief as a complete unit before release.
- Teams will not be self activated.