Emergency Management - Family Preparedness

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their community and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

Greenville County CERT offers an 8-week training open to the community twice a year in the Spring & Fall.

Participants gain hands-on experience in the following sessions:

Basic Disaster Preparedness
Basic Fire Suppression
Disaster Medical Operations 1: Triage & Treating Life Threatening Injuries
Disaster Medical Operations 2: Assessment, Treatment, and Hygiene
Light Search & Rescue
Team Organization & Disaster Psychology
Terrorism & CERT
Final Exercise

Training Calendar

Training Schedule

For a registration form or more information, email Rachel Ethun at rethun@greenvillecounty.org or call 467-2680.

How Does CERT Benefit the Community?

People who go through CERT training have a better understanding of the potential threats to their home, workplace and community and can take the right steps to lessen the effects of these hazards on themselves, their homes or workplace. If a disaster happens that overwhelms local response capability, CERT members can apply the training learned in the classroom and during exercises to give critical support to their family, loved ones, neighbors or associates in their immediate area until help arrives. CERT members can also assist with non-emergency projects that improve the safety of the community. CERT participants have been used to distribute and/or install smoke alarms, replace smoke alarm batteries in the homes of elderly, distribute disaster education material, provide services at special events, such as parades, sporting events, concerts and more.

Why Take the CERT Training?

Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, there can be an emergency or disaster that can overwhelm the community's immediate response capability. The primary reason for CERT training is to give people the decision-making, organizational, and practical skills to offer immediate assistance to family members, neighbors, and associates while waiting for help. While people will respond to others in need without the training, the goal of the CERT program is to help people do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.

Who Can Take the Training?

Individuals who are interested in learning how to be better prepared for emergencies as well as groups such as Neighborhood Watch groups, community organizations, communities of faith, school staff, workplace employees, and other groups that come together regularly for a common purpose. CERT skills are useful in disaster and everyday life events.

Visit the National CERT website at https://www.citizencorps.gov/cert/about.shtm