Morgan Hill Community Emergency Response Team

Course Overview

The CERT Basic Training Course is delivered in Morgan Hill by a team of first responders, and qualified volunteers. 

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1. Disaster Preparedness: Addresses hazards specific to our community. Preparations to make before a disaster. Learn actions to take during and after a disaster. Learn about the roles of the community, elected officials, emergency management and CERT volunteers. 

2. Fire Suppression: Covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards and fire suppression strategies. Particpants learn how to use fire extinguishers, and learn about recommended fire extinguisher types.

3. Disaster Medical Operations Part I: Participants learn to treat airway obstructions, excessive bleeding and shock as well as the Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment (START) protocol for CERT volunteers.

4. Disaster Medical Operations Part II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area and performing basic first aid.

5. Light Search and Rescue Operations: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques and rescuer safety.

6. CERT Organization: How to organize and deploy CERT resources according to CERT organizational principles. The importance of documentation.

7. Disaster Psychology: Gives an overview of stress reactions and strategies for dealing with people under stress during a disaster, including the needs of disaster workers themselves.

8. CERT and Terrorism: Participants learn the definition of terrorism terrorist goals, how terrorists choose targets, potential terrorist weapons, how to identify a potential attack, preparing for terrorist incidents and protective action afterwards.

9. Skills Day: Practice what you have learned in class in safe, supportive skill stations in Light Search and Rescue, medical treatment, cribbing, fire extinguisher use and utility controls.