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Westland Community Emergency Response Team
About
Welcome to the Westland Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program! The mission of CERT is to equip resident volunteers of Westland with the essential skills and training needed to effectively assist City staff during emergencies or other events in our community. This program empowers residents with the knowledge and skills necessary to act confidently in crisis situations, ensuring that our community is prepared for anything. By joining the CERT program, you will become part of a dedicated team of community volunteers focused on enhancing safety and preparedness for all residents of Westland.
The CERT concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1985. CERT became a national program endorsed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 1993 based on the effectiveness of the original program and subsequent program adoptions. Now you can find CERT programs in all 50 states with over 3,200 local CERT programs and more than 600,000 people trained since CERT became a national program. - fema.gov.
Why Join CERT?
There is many reasons why someone would want to join. Here are some of the ones most expressed by other program members:
- Free Comprehensive Training - As a CERT member, you will receive complimentary training in critical areas such as disaster preparedness, first aid, and emergency response coordination.
- Hands-On Experience - You will engage in practical training sessions that include real-life scenarios and simulations.
- Support Your Community - By joining, you will have an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in Westland. You will be helping your neighbors and contribute to the overall community safety and resilience.
- Build Lifelong Connections - You will be joining as a network of individuals who share your passion for helping others. You will work alongside fellow community members and City staff, forming lasting relationships while learning valuable skills.
Training
As a participant of the CERT program, you will gain valuable skills in areas like:
- Identifying hazards in the community
- Basic fire safety
- First aid and bleeding control
- CPR and utilizing automated external defibrillators (AED)
- Wide area search
- and much more
These skills will be gained through our unique hybrid training program. This allows for a flexible learning experience that allows for participants to advance at their own pace through an easy to use online platform and scheduled hands-on experiences.
Online Training
The online training takes approximately 12 hours to complete and includes engaging audio voiceovers, informative videos, and quizzes. There are 8 training units in total and can be completed at your pace. Once you take the final test you will receive your certificate of completion for the online training.
Hands-on Practical Training
Once the online portion of training is completed, you will move onto the hands-on training which consists of two in-person sessions. These sessions total 16 hours of training. During these sessions, the participants have the opportunity to demonstrate and practice the skills learned through the online training. This training culminates in a disaster simulation, allowing participants to apply their new skills in a real world scenario.
Once both the online and practical training sessions are completed, the participant will receive their official certificate from the Westland CERT program and be part of this exciting and essential group of volunteers. In the future, as a member, you will gain access to additional training opportunities and be able to participate in community events that promote safety and preparedness.