It is known throughout the world that Japan is a resourceful, resilient, and insightful people. In the 2011 disaster, this was demonstrated on a large scale. It was individual Japanese citizens caring for their neighbors which protected the whole of Japan. This neighborly love saved many lives and prevented more devastation. In fact, my son was volunteering in Japan when the earthquakes and tsunami occurred. He also noted the honorable way people responded.
Emergency situations happen to entire communities. There are many emotional and psychological factors that affect behavior and the ability to immediately respond to disasters. Many people want to help but do not know what to do. Some may wait to provide assistance until they are given …show more content…
There are a few steps to start a CERT program.
1) Identify Needs
What are the potential hazards of a community’s geographical area?
Are there obstacles which need to be addressed? For example, perhaps a community is divided in half by a river. A hospital and the fire department may be on one side of the river and the university is on the other side. If the bridge is damaged, injured people cannot get to the hospital. Trained CERT members can help victims until a solution is found.
2) Community Partnerships & Permission
Identify community organizations that would like to be a partner with a CERT program. Once an agreement is made the next step is to obtain permission from the authorities to form a CERT Program.
3) Community Awareness
Publish the identified needs to the community. Bring awareness for the community to share their individual talents in building CERT program
Make fliers to post at libraries and public places. Bring awareness to businesses, community groups, educational facilities, and churches. These organizations can communicate with large numbers of people. Individuals within these groups can set up Facebook pages and other media to help keep people …show more content…
Basic CERT courses can be offered on an annual basis, or every few months. It depends on the community needs. In addition to the classes, practice simulations should be offered. These can be elaborate or very simple. The idea is to give people an opportunity to come together and practice their basic response skills. This encourages confidence, helps individuals gain insights, and build strong community relationships. Many CERT programs enjoy competition. For example, several CERT programs may coordinate a combined CERT Olympics. These are fun and highly informative. Both the citizens and staff learn and increase in effectiveness.
Beyond training and skill development, CERT Programs can participate in community demonstrations, picnic events, volunteer with neighborhood clean up, and disaster education fairs. There are many ways to keep people interested and involved.
The last decade of worldwide natural disasters encourage us to change how we approach emergency response. CERT Programs are an effective resource to assist when help is needed. It can be adapted to meet any individual community need but also assist large scale events. The success of a community is influenced by the combined talents and connection of it citizens. As we prepare together we can protect each other. The main point is . . . we need each
Emergency situations happen to entire communities. There are many emotional and psychological factors that affect behavior and the ability to immediately respond to disasters. Many people want to help but do not know what to do. Some may wait to provide assistance until they are given …show more content…
There are a few steps to start a CERT program.
1) Identify Needs
What are the potential hazards of a community’s geographical area?
Are there obstacles which need to be addressed? For example, perhaps a community is divided in half by a river. A hospital and the fire department may be on one side of the river and the university is on the other side. If the bridge is damaged, injured people cannot get to the hospital. Trained CERT members can help victims until a solution is found.
2) Community Partnerships & Permission
Identify community organizations that would like to be a partner with a CERT program. Once an agreement is made the next step is to obtain permission from the authorities to form a CERT Program.
3) Community Awareness
Publish the identified needs to the community. Bring awareness for the community to share their individual talents in building CERT program
Make fliers to post at libraries and public places. Bring awareness to businesses, community groups, educational facilities, and churches. These organizations can communicate with large numbers of people. Individuals within these groups can set up Facebook pages and other media to help keep people …show more content…
Basic CERT courses can be offered on an annual basis, or every few months. It depends on the community needs. In addition to the classes, practice simulations should be offered. These can be elaborate or very simple. The idea is to give people an opportunity to come together and practice their basic response skills. This encourages confidence, helps individuals gain insights, and build strong community relationships. Many CERT programs enjoy competition. For example, several CERT programs may coordinate a combined CERT Olympics. These are fun and highly informative. Both the citizens and staff learn and increase in effectiveness.
Beyond training and skill development, CERT Programs can participate in community demonstrations, picnic events, volunteer with neighborhood clean up, and disaster education fairs. There are many ways to keep people interested and involved.
The last decade of worldwide natural disasters encourage us to change how we approach emergency response. CERT Programs are an effective resource to assist when help is needed. It can be adapted to meet any individual community need but also assist large scale events. The success of a community is influenced by the combined talents and connection of it citizens. As we prepare together we can protect each other. The main point is . . . we need each