Section 1: Unit 2 Overview

Unit 2 objectives

1. Describe the CERT organizational structure

2. Explain the ICS and how CERT operates within this structure

3. Describe the 9-step On-scene size up process

4. Describe how to use CERT standard documents

Section 2: CERT Organization

Principles of on-scene management

1. CERT organization is based on the Incident Command System (ICS)

   1. which is a proven management system used by emergency responders.

2. On scene management in a disaster situation follows these principles

   1. Maintain the safety of disaster workers.

      1. The CERT Team Leader (TL)

         1. must continually prioritize response activities based on the teams capability and training.

      2. TLs also maintain the principle that rescuer safety is the number one concern.

      3. CERT functional leadership assigns activities and accounts for team vounteers.

      4. CERT volunteers work in the buddy system and respon base on their size-up of the situations that they encounter.

      5. Provide clear leadership and organizational structure by developing a chain of command and roles that are known by all team volunteers.

         1. Each CERT member has only one person that he or she takes direction from and responds to.

      6. Improve the effectiveness of rescue efforts.

         1. Disaster information is collected and responses are prioritized based on rescuer safety and

            1. doing the greatest amount of good for the greatest number

               1. according to the teams capabilities and training.

3. CERT Application of on scene-management

   1. The specific CERT organizational structure and protocols provide

      1. A well-defined management structure 

         1. leadership

         2. functional areas

         3. reporting chain

         4. working in teams

      2. A manageable span of control that provides for a desirable rescuer-to-supervisor ratio

         1. optimum 5-to-1 with an acceptable spread of 2-to-7

      3. Common terminology that contributes to effective communication and shared understanding.

      4. Effective communication among team volunteers and with professional responders

         1. including the use of radios

      5. Consolidated action plans that coordinate

         1. strategic goals

         2. tactical objectives

         3. support activities

      6. comprehensive resource management that facilitates application of available resources 

         1. to the incident in a timely manner

      7. accountability

   2. Objectives for CERT on-scene management

      1. in a disaster situation the CERT TL:

         1. Identifies the scope of the incident (what is the problem?)

         2. Determines an overall strategy (What can we do, and how will we do it?)

         3. Deploys teams and resources (who is going to do what?)

         4. Documents action and results.

   3. The need for flexibility

      1. Disasters create a dynamic

         1. ever changing environment

      2. The CERT organizational framework is flexible so that it can expand or

      3. contract depending on the ongoing assessment priorities determined by the 

         1. CERT Team Leader

         2. people

         3. resources

            1. Rescuer safety

            2. Doing the greatest good for the greatest number

            3. A manageable span of control

            4. Accountability of CERT volunteers

   4. Incident Command System

      1. The ICS is the system used by emergency response agencies to manage emergency operations

         1. When a CERT activates it becomes part of that system.

      2. This section will explain the ICS format and detail how CERTs both operate within the ICS and organize themselves to replicate that of the ICS structure

   5. Basic ICS structure for a CERT is established by the person who arrives first on the scene.

      1. This person becomes the TL

         1. Initially the TL may handle all of command positions of the ics 

            1. but as the incident evolves

               1. he or she may assign personnel as needed to the ICS Command Functions.

                  1. Operations section Chief

                  2. Intelligence/Investigations section chief

                  3. Planning section chief

                  4. Logistics section chief

                  5. Finance/Administration

4. Through an effective ICS all CERT volunteers report through  a chain of command to the TL.

   1. The TL reports to the first fire or law enforcement official

      1. at their location and takes direction

         1. from that person until otherwise directed or until the CERT is relieved.

5. Through an effective ICS

   1. all CERT volunteers report through a chain of command to the TL

      1. The TL reports to the first fire or law enforcement official at their location an takes direction from that person until otherwise directed or until the CERT is relieved.

6. Although there are a number of detailed responsibilities under each ICS function

   1. the system is easy to understand

      1. CERTs will typically require the

         1. operations

         2. planning 

         3. logistics 

            1. functions

      2. The CERT Team Leader is responsible for handling or delgation each function to team volunteers.

   2. As the incident expands CERT volunteers are assigned or re-assigned to each section

      1. to handle specific aspects of the reponse while maintaining an effective span of control.

   3. CERT Team Leader

      1. Ensures Incident safety

      2. Establishes incident objectives

      3. Delegates authority to others

      4. provides information to internal and external parties

      5. Establishes and maintain liason with other responders

         1. fire

         2. law enforcement

         3. public works

         4. other CERTS

      6. Intelligence / investigations section

         1. Prevents and deters potential unlawful activity

            1. incidents

            2. and/or attacks

         2. Collects

            1. processes

            2. analyzes 

            3. secures

            4. appropriately disseminates information

            5. intelligence

         3. conducts investigations

         4. Informs and supports life safety operations

   4. Intelligence/investigations is a function in the formal Incident command system

      1. however CERTs will have a very limite involvement if any with this function

      2. Planning Section

         1. Tracks resource status

            1. number of CERT volunteers who have reported for duty

         2. Tracks situation status

         3. Prepares the Teams action plan

         4. Develops alternative strategies

         5. provides documentation services

      3. Logistics Section

         1. Provides communications

         2. Provides food and medical support to Team volunteers

         3. manages supplies and facilities

         4. Make sure that there are adequate resources

            1. personnel

            2. supplies

            3. equipment

               1. for meeting the incident objectives

      4. Finance and Administration section

         1. Conducts contract negotiation and monitoring

         2. keeps track of timekeeping

         3. provides cost analysis

         4. Tracks compensation for injury or damage properly

      5. Finance and Adminstration is a function in the formal incident command system

         1. however, CERTs will have very limited involvement

            1. if any with this function

   5. CERT operations

      1. Based on the principles of ICS CERTs follow these protocols

         1. Each CERT must establish a command structure.

         2. The CERT TL directs team activities

            1. during activation for a disaster

               1. The first person at a pre-designated staging area assumes this responsibility

               2. The initial TL may hand off this role to a pre-designated leader when that person arrives

               3. The location established by the CERT TL as the central point for command and control of the incident is called the command post for the CERT.

                  1. the TL stays in the command post

                     1. if the TL has to leave

                        1. the responsibility of TL

                        2. must be delegate to someone in the command post.

            2. Using the ICS structure CERT volunteers are assigne to assist witha range of function including:

               1. logistics

                  1. managing resources, service, and supplies

               2. Planning/intelligence

                  1. collection and displaying information 

                  2. collecting and compiling documentation

               3. Operations

                  1. conducting fire suppression

                  2. medical operations

                  3. search and rescue

   6. in all situations 

      1. each unit assigned must have an identified leader to supervise tasks being performed

         1. to account for team volunteers and

         2.  to report inforation his or her designated leader

   7. in all situations

      1. a manageable span of control is five rescuers per supervisor

         1. with an acceptable spread of two to seven

   8. CERT personnel assignedd to operations should always be assigned to teams consisting of between one and five people

      1. one person will serve as runner and communicate with the command post.

      2. To people will "buddy up" to respond to the immediate needs

      3. Search and rescue teams must include at least four people

         1. with a safety team remaining outside the area subject to search

            1. and at least two people to conduct the search

Expanded CERT operations Structure

Dealing with the Media

1. CERT Volunteers should refer any meia inquiries to th CERT TL.

   1. The TL should then refer the media inquiries to the Public information officer

      1. of the Certs sponsoring organization

2. In The public information officer of the sponsoring organization

   1. refers media to the CERT TL or

      1. otherwise authorizes them to speak with the media,

         1. the TL should,

            1. Refrain from addressing the media until doing so will no longer inhibit or 

               1. delay

                  1. the teams ability to do the greatest good for the greatest number

                     1. in the shortest amount of time

            2. Establish an ara for briefing the media if necessary

            3. Be careful about the information he or she releases

               1. making sure it is both accurate and approved for release

                  1. while also keeping in mind victims right to privacy

            4. Not feel compelled to answer every question asked.

3. National Incident Management System Implementation

   1. The ICS is part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)

      1. NIMS provides a consistent comprehensive approach to incident management

         1. it applies at all jurisdictional levels and across all emergency management functions and types of incidents.

      2. NIMS as established so that first responders, including CERT volunteers

         1. from different jurisdictions and disciplines can work together better to respond to disasters and emergencies

         2. To Meet NIMS standards, CERT volunteers must complete both the IS-100 and IS-700 courses

         3. Both independent study courses are available online form FEMA

4. 
   

Section 3: CERT Mobilization

The following steps describe how CERTs mobilize when the incident occurs.

1. If the standard operating procedure (SOP) calls for self-activation

   1. CERT volunteers proceed to the predesignated staging area with their disaster supplies

      1. along the way

         1. they make damage assessments that would be helpful for the CERT TLs decision making.

   2. The first CERT member at the staging area becomes the initial TL for the response

      1. As other CERT volunteers arrive

         1. the CERT TL may pass leadership to someone else

            1. the CERT TL establishes operations to ensure effectivenes communication

               1. to maintain span of control

               2. maintain accountability

               3. and help the greatest number of without placing CERT volunteers in harms way

         2. The first CERT member at the staging area becomes the initial TL for the response

            1. As other CERT volunteers arrive

               1. the CERT TL may pass leadership to someone else

                  1. the CERT TL establishes operations to ensure effective communication

                     1. to maintain span of control

                     2. maintain accountability and 

                     3. help the greatest number without placing CERT volunteers in harms way

            2. One of the CERT TL's first decisions will be to locate the teams command post.

               1. the staging area may become the command

                  1. however,

                     1. if another location would be safer or otherwise better 

                        1. The command post should be set up there.

            3. As intelligence is collected an assessed 

               1. the TL must prioritize actions and work with the section chiefs or leaders

               2. The CERT organization is flexible and evolves base on new information.

      2. Following an incident information

         1. and therefore priorities

         2. may change rapidly

      3. Communication between the CERT TL and response teams ensures that CERTs do not overextend  their resources or supplies.

2. CERT on Scent Size up

   1. on scene size up should b conducted upon CERT mobilization 

   2. size up is continual process that enables professional responder to make decisions

   3. and respond appropriately in the areas of greatest need

   4. CERT size up consists of 9 steps and should be used in any emergency situation

3. Refer the participants to CERT OnScene size up in the participant manual

   1. although the check is not exhaustive

      1. it it does include many of the questions

         1. that cert team volunteers should ask when sizing up an emergency situation.

4. Rescuer Safety 

   1. Effective emergency scene management requires the formulation and communication of strategic goals and tactical objectives to do the most good for the greatest number while maintaining the safety of resue personnel.

   2. remember that resuer safety is paramount

   3. The question to ask is 

      1. is it safe for the CERT volunteers to attempt the rescue?

      2. The answer to this question is based on the degree of damage

5. If the damage is heavy

   1. no rescue should be attempted

   2. use tape around the area or mark the area as heavy damage

   3. CERT volunteers do not have any legal authority to stop or restrict someone who wants to enter an area

      1. at best CERT volunteers can warn others about the danger and inform the CERT TL immediately if it is know that people are in the building

   4. If the damage is moderate

      1. locate

      2. assess

         1. quickly evaluate and treat 

            1. airway obstruction

            2. bleeding

            3. lowbody temperature

      3. Immediately evacuate survivors to a safe area while minimizing both the number of rescuers inside the building and the amount of time that they remain inside.

   5. If the damage is light

      1. locate

      2. assess

      3. continue size up

      4. and document

CERT Tasks Based on Damage Level

Light Damage Site

Moderate Damage Sight

Heavy Damage Site

Section 4 Documentation

It is extremely important to document and communicate information about the 

1. disaster situation and 

2. resource status.

The efficient flow of information makes it possible for resources to be deployed effectively and 

1. for professional emergency services 

2. to be applied appropriately.

1. Documenting serves several purposes:

   1. The CERT TL 

      1. will know what is happening throughout the incident

      2. will have written information to pass on to the professional responders when they arrive.

   2. communication improvement between functional areas and shifts

   3. The CERT will be able to show how many volunteer hours it provided to the sponsoring agency or entity.

   4. liability exposure will be documented

2. Under the CERT structure each level of the organization has documentation responsibilities.

   1. Section Chiefs are responsible for providing the command post with ongoing information about 

      1. damage assessment

      2. group status

      3. ongoing needs

   2. The command post  is responsible for documenting situation status

      1. incident locations

      2. Access routes

      3. Identified hazards

      4. support locations

   3. Support location include

      1. a staging area

      2. a medical treatment and assessment area

      3. a morgue, if there are fatalities

3. This information is vital for tracking the overall situation and for the CERT TL to be ready.

   1. to provide the documentation to the first professional responders on the scene

   2. Write it down

      1. the most important thing to do is to write down what happened

   3. The information can be written down on the sample forms provided in this unit or it can be written down on a sheet of paper

   4. Every entity

      1. such as a functional team or staging location

         1. must have a scribe to record everything

      2. Typically 

         1. the CERT TL designates the scribe and provides some simple instructions.

4. Documentation flow

   1. Here is how a CERT would use these standard documents 

      1. within the context of an event

         1. Remind participants that 

            1. even if the forms are not used

               1. this should give them an idea of the preferred information

                  1. that needs to be collected and communicated between groups

   2. CERT volunteers complete the Damage Assessment Form as they travel through the area

      1. to the CERT's staging location

         1. The form is then given to the CERT TL

            1. The form provides a summary of overall hazards in selected areas and 

               1. the information is used for prioritizing and formulating activities

   3. The CERT TL assembles teams and makes assignments based on the damage assessment information.

      1. This person keeps the CERT assignment tracking log.

         1. which is the most important tool for recording the activities of the functional teams and overall situation status

   4. A scribe at the staging location signs in each volunteer using the Personnel Resources Check-in form

      1. noting any preferred team assignments or skills

         1. This information needs to be passed on to the command post.

   5. The command post and the functional team share the Briefing assignment form

      1. The CERT TL uses the front side of the form to communicate instructions

         1. address

         2. incident type

         3. learn objectives

            1. about the incident

      2. The scribe of the functional team uses the blank side of the form to log team actions

         1. the form is then returned to the command post when the team checks in.

      3. The Treatment area Record is available to document each person brought into the treatment area and his or her condition

      4. The Communications Log is on-hand to log incoming and outgoing transmissions

         1. it is typically kept by the radio operator

      5. The equipment Inventory is kept in the area or vehicle in which equipment is stored

      6. The General Message form is accessible for sending messages

         1. between any command levels and groups

            1. the messages must be clear and concise

5. Documentation Form

   1. There are standard forms that can be used to facilitate documentation and information flow.

      1. The forms are functionally consistent with ICS forms and are designed to be NIMS compliant.

   2. The CERT forms are:

      1. Damage Assessment

      2. Personnel Resources Check-In

      3. CERT Assignment Tracking Log

      4. Briefing Assignment

      5. Treatment Area Record

      6. Communications Log

      7. Equipment Inventory

      8. General Message

   3. Remember scribes can produce useful

      1. high-quality documentation without using the forms as long as they take detailed notes of all activities.

      2. Area maps

         1. site maps; and 

         2. building plans 

            1. are also very useful for tracking response activities.