The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. They recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster. Accordingly, LAFD decided that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive until responders or other assistance could arrive. The Whitter Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet immediate emergency needs.

The training program that the LAFD initiated proved to be so beneficial that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) felt that the concept and the program should be made available to communities nationwide. In 1994, the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), in cooperation with the LAFD, expanded the CERT materials to make them applicable to all hazards.

In 2003, President Bush asked all Americans to volunteer in the service of their country. The Citizens Corps program was created to spearhead this effort to harness the power of every individual through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds. CERT was selected as one of the primary programs offered to the American public to meet this challenge.

Following the September 11th, 2001 attacks on our nation, the Brookline Emergency Management Team began working to address the domestic preparedness needs of our community. As part of their efforts, they identified a need for community volunteers willing to assist the Town’s emergency workers during a major event. These events could include another attack on our nation, a natural or manmade disaster, extended electrical outages, missing persons searches, weather-related crises, or any number of situations that we are hopeful will never face our community.

In November 2003, the EMT applied for a Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) grant to start a CERT Program and provide advanced training in disaster services and shelters operations to community volunteers. In January 2004, the EMT was awarded $5,000 to start up the CERT Program and program development was underway. On March 24, 2004, the first CERT Training Program began with 20 community members. A second program was run in the winter of 2005 for 10 additional community members and a third recently graduated in March 2006 for a total of 52 CERT members Town-wide.

The CERT training is ten weeks and includes:

• Disaster services
• Mass care
• Emergency shelter operations
• Basic fire suppression
• Introduction to terrorism
• Personal Planning and Preparedness
• Sheltering in Place
• Tabletop Exercises
• First aid/CPR
• AED certification

The American Red Cross teaches three of the above classes (and certifies members) and has assisted the Team in identifying appropriate shelter locations throughout the Town. The CERT Team meets regularly to refresh their training and continue preparedness planning. Many of the continuing education courses are held in conjunction with CERT’s sister group, the Medical Reserve Corps.

Some recent Continuing Education Classes include:

• National Incident Management System
• Avian Flu
• Emergency Dispensing Sites

The skills developed in these trainings will enable CERT participants to assist the Town’s emergency workers during a major event.

Some additional activities of the CERT Team:

• Marching in the Flag Day celebration
• Assisting the Police Department to assemble Personal Protective Equipment bags for officers
• Hosting information booths at the Brookline 300th Festivals
• Assisting the Town to coordinate donations and volunteers for the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts
• Presenting to the Rotary Club of Brookline

For more information on the Brookline CERT Program, please contact the program’s coordinators or download an application today:

Officer Casey Hatchett
Detective Cheryl Molloy
Brookline Police Department
350 Washington Street, Brookline MA 02445
Email: Casey_Hatchett@town.brookline.ma.us
Phone: (617) 730-2734
Fax: (617) 730-8454