Community Emergency Response Team

Florence County 911/Central Dispatch was named South Carolina’s 911 Center of the Year!!!

Interested in CERT or want to sign up for a course.

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Always remember to be prepared.

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We host all sorts of groups for tours of our facility and we also go to schools and other organizations to teach about 9-1-1.

The CERT Basic Training Course is the pathway to becoming a CERT member in Florence County. Although the course is intended to train potential CERT members, it is open to any and all who wish to learn more about protecting themselves, their families, their friends and neighborhoods during a manmade or natural disaster.

Florence County Emergency Management has adopted this course from the National CERT Program which is provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the Department of Homeland Security.

The course is used to teach the basics of disaster preparedness, fire safety, utility controls, disaster medical, light search and rescue, CERT organization, disaster psychology and terrorism to individuals of a variety of backgrounds who wish to learn more about preparedness. There are no prerequisites or prior training required before taking this course.

The course is only open to those over the age of eighteen (18). An injury wavier must be signed by all course participants prior to participating in any training activities.

Course outline:

Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness

Unit 2: Fire Safety and Utility Control

Unit 3: Disaster Medical Operations Part 1

Unit 4: Disaster Medical Operations Part 2

Unit 5: Light Search and Rescue Operations

Unit 6: CERT Organization

Unit 7: Disaster Psychology

Unit 8: Terrorism in CERT

Unit 9: Course Review, Final Exam and Disaster Simulation

A digital copy of the CERT Basic Training course manual will be provided to every student who participates in the course. Participants can also download a copy of the manual at http://www.fema.gov/training-materials . Hard copies of the manual will be made available to students while they are attending the course.

All personal protective equipment and other items needed for the course will be provided by Florence County Emergency Management and partnering organizations. Materials provided in class are NOT to be taken home by participants. If participants would like more information on how they can purchase their own personal equipment they can ask the CERT Program Manager.

To learn more about the basic training course or to learn when the next course will be made available contact Public Education/Information Officer Andrew Golden at 843-665-7255.

To become a Florence County CERT member an applicant must first complete the CERT Basic Training Course provided by Florence County Emergency Management. This course is considered the pathway to becoming a CERT member and no applicant will be considered unless this course has been completed. If an applicant has completed the CERT Basic Training Course in another state or county they must retake the course as it is provided by Florence County Emergency Management as certain aspects of the training may differ.

Once completing the CERT Basic Training course, potential CERT members must complete a criminal background check.

Upon completing the criminal background check, potential members will be asked to complete an in person interview with the CERT Program Manager and other Florence County Emergency Management staff. If selected, the applicant will be contacted by the CERT Program Manager.

Membership Requirements

The following is a list of requirements to be a Florence County CERT Member:

Completion of the CERT Basic Training course
Completion of IS-100 and IS-700
Members must attend eight (8) of the ten (10) regularly scheduled CERT Monthly meetings. Meetings are held on the second Thursday of every month, excluding November and December. (If a CERT member is unable to attend a meeting due to extenuating circumstances, they must notify the CERT Program Manager.)
Participate in activations, requests for assistance and additional training
Members must submit to a criminal background check every three (3) years

CERT Review and Continuing Education Training

NIMS/ICS courses required for CERT Membership:

FEMA IS-317: Introduction to CERT (On-line):

“Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams,” IS-317, is an independent study course that serves as an introduction to CERT for those wanting to complete training or as a refresher for current team members. IS-317 can be taken by anyone interested in CERT. However, to become a CERT Member, one must complete the classroom training.
Click HERE to take the course

Downloadable CERT Training Materials:

CERT Training Videos:

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an official emergency preparedness program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The CERT concept was originally developed and implemented by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985. The need was recognized following a series of earthquakes in both the U.S. and Mexico that left hundreds dead, injured and without emergency services. By 1993, thousands of residents had been trained in the United States and Canada. The CERT program nationwide is supported and assisted by FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Florence County Emergency Management recognized a need for our community to be better prepared in the case of a natural or manmade disaster and because of this need developed a CERT program. The Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Florence County Emergency Medical Services and Florence County Fire Chief’s Association also recognized this need and partnered with Emergency Management to implement the Florence County CERT in 2016.

The primary purpose of the Florence County CERT will be to help their communities until first responders arrive. Additionally trained CERT members may volunteer to support Florence County Public Safety agencies during a disaster response.

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