There's a big difference between being unprepared and knowing the basics of what to do. It can even save lives. The San Mateo Highlands Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) basic disaster response training is designed to help fill that gap.

WHY take CERT training? It's useful, it's free and it's fun. See below for ways CERT training will help you and your family when a disaster strikes.

Personal Safety: Your personal safety always comes first at CERT. Here you will learn several basics to help keep you and your family safe in a disaster. CERT sees it as one way you can be part of the solution rather than become part of the problem.

Attending the program gets you started thinking about how to prepare your household for emergencies. It is also a first run at learning useful skills which can then be improved upon with future training. A little preparation and a little thought ahead of time can make a big difference.

What To Do Next: Many people freeze during a serious emergency. But, if you take the training you will know what to do next and where to go with questions. As a CERT member you are part of a connected team that includes you, nearby team members, the CERT Incident Command Post, the local fire department and that extends to state & federal resources as needed.

The training emphasizes always asking the Incident Command Post for information, direction and resources when there is a critical uncertainty. A CERT team member is not expected to know everything but, at the minimum, they will learn basic safety essentials and where to go for support.

Save Lives: CERT teams are trained how to do a few simple things -- e.g., restore breathing, stop bleeding, treat shock -- that can help save lives which might otherwise be lost during the first few critical minutes before professional responders arrive. These are good to know even when there is not a natural disaster.

Provide Valuable Information: In a major disaster professionals will likely be overwhelmed for hours if not days. The  CERT Command Post is in direct communication with a local firefighter who filters and passes information up and down the formal chain of command. One of the most valuable things CERT does is provide local on-the-spot information that helps guide fire, police and medical professionals to where they are most needed.

Know Your Neighbors: At CERT you will get to know several more nice neighbors and our local firefighters better over the six training sessions. This familiarity could be useful in a disaster too. The training sessions include plenty of relaxed class interaction and small team exercises.