Community Emergency Response Team members are trained volunteers who have learned how to take care of themselves, their families and their neighbors.
To become a CERT, members undergo 20 hours of training and work under the leadership of the County Emergency Management Agency Director or municipal emergency management personnel.
Depending on their training, Maine CERTs:
- Provide back-up (ham radio) communication assistance within the Emergency Operations Centers during an emergency.
- Assist with a search and rescue operation.
- Provide shelter management both for families and their pets during an evacuation.
- Assist with sand bagging during a flooding incident or provide traffic control.
CERT Teams provide critical support to professional first responders; fire, police and emergency medical services.
CERTs have proven to be an active and vital part of their communities' preparedness and response capability. Across the country, CERTs have been used to:
- Distribute and/or install smoke alarms and batteries to the elderly and disabled.
- Assist with evacuations and traffic control.
- Promote community awareness of potential hazards and preparedness measures.
- Supplement staffing at special events, such as parades.
- Act as victims in training exercises.
History of CERT
The Community Emergency Response Team program started in California, with the Los Angeles Fire Department and the earthquake of 1987. The quake demonstrated the need for citizens to band together to help themselves, their neighbors and their loved ones when responders are unavailable, overwhelmed, or prevented from acting because of transportation difficulties. With that, CERT formed.
What can a CERT do?
CERTs are able to do a huge spectrum of activities*, with the exception of replacing emergency services. Some examples of possible CERT activities:
- Community education around preparedness, mitigation or response.
- Search and Rescue
- Event Traffic control
- Sheltering Support
- Debris Clean Up
- First Aid Tent Support
- Wellness checks
- Damage assessments
- EOC support
- ARES/RACES
*Note that some of these activities may require additional training beyond CERT Basic Training.
How to start a CERT in Maine
The requirements for starting a CERT include:
- A sponsoring agency that is a local, county or state government agency.
- Members receive the 20 CERT Basic Training.
- Once Basic Training is completed, send in training sign-in sheets or certificates to the State CERT coordinator.
- Fill out the CERT team registration form and the Sponsoring Agency Agreement form and send it to the State CERT Coordinator.
How do I get CERT basic training?
The state has many qualified trainers for CERT Basic Training. You can contact the State CERT Coordinator, Kelsey Preecs at kelsey.preecs@maine.gov to see if there are any trainings in the future or to try and coordinate a training for your group. You can also contact your County EMA to see if they are offering anything.
You are also able to take the CERT training online through the University of Utah.
And then take the following sections in person:
- Unit 3: Treating Life-threating conditions, Basic First Aid Care
- Unit 4: Conducting Head-to-Toe Assessments
- Unit 6: Fire suppression safety
- Unit 7: Conducting Interior and Exterior Search Operations, Conducting Rescue Operations
How does a CERT stay active?
CERTs are encouraged to train and exercise on a regular basis.
CERTs will report Team Roster, Trainings, and Activations to the State CERT Coordinator annually by July 31st of each year.
What does the sponsoring agency do?
The sponsoring agency agrees to support the CERT by acting as a liaison between the CERT and the government agency, providing training when applicable, and providing approval for a CERT activation when requested by a local or county Emergency Management Agency.
CERT Resources
CERT Guidebook (docx)
CERT Registration Form (docx)
CERT Sponsorship Acknowledgement (docx)
CERT Basic Training Notification Form (docx)