Warren County Emergency Management Agency
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      101 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 101
      Warrenton, MO 63383
      Office: (636) 456-3786
      Fax: (636) 456-1686
      Cell: (636) 359-2274
      EOC: (636) 377-2370
      (Emergency Operation Center)
      Email:
jsharp@warrencountymo.org

   Promoting a safer & less vulnerable community

     through effective partnerships of local government, local business and industry,
     emergency services, human service agencies and the citizens of Warren County.
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CERT


History


The CERT concept dates back to 1985, when the Los Angeles Fire Department recognized that in the early stages of a disaster - earthquakes in particular - local emergency responders would be overwhelmed, and basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of community members to survive until responders or other assistance arrived.

Recognizing the universal value of this program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) worked in conjunction with the LAFD to make the CERT program applicable to all types of hazards and developed a CERT training program which could be used nationwide and adapted to meet local conditions when the need arose.

The tragic events of September 11, 2001 remind us that disaster can strike anywhere or anytime, and that basic safety and disaster survival skills can mean the difference between life and death. CERT training empowers community members to prepare responsibly and respond appropriately when emergencies occur.

Warren County implemented it’s CERT program in 2004. Since its inception we have trained and equipped one hundred (100) members. In 2008 Warren County merged its program with Lincoln, Pike Counties and is now know as the Region C –North CERT.

CERTs are formed by members of a neighborhood or workplace who wants to be better prepared for the hazards that threaten their communities. The course benefits anyone who takes it by being better prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of natural or manmade disasters.

The best source of help in an emergency or disaster is the paid or volunteer professional. But, if they are not available due to high demand, CERT members can help. CERTs are not intended to replace a community’s response capability, but rather, to service as an important supplement to it.

By sponsoring CERT , Warren County is creating a volunteer resource that is part of the community’s operational capability following a disaster. The Warren County CERT program will develop training standards for CERT personnel and protocols for their activation and use.

  • CERT volunteers must keep their safety in mind as their first priority.
  • CERT volunteers must know their capabilities and the limitations of their training and equipment and work within those limitations.


Introduction - “How CERTs Operate”


As each CERT is organized and trained and in accordance with standard operating procedures developed by the sponsoring agency, its members select a team leader and an alternate and identify a meeting location, or staging area, to be used in the event of a disaster.

The staging area is where the fire department and other services will interact with CERTs. Having a centralized contact point makes it possible to communicate damage assessments and allocate volunteer resources more effectively.
Damage from disasters may vary considerably from one location to another. In an actual disaster, CERTs are deployed progressively and as needs dictate. Members are taught to assess their own needs and those of their immediate environment first.

CERT members who encounter no need in their immediate area then reports to their staging area, where they take on assigned roles based on overall area needs. Members who find themselves in a heavily affected location send runners to staging areas to get help from available resources. Ham and CB radio links also may be used to increase communication capabilities and coordination.


Get Involved!


The cost of becoming a CERT member is FREE

Contact the Warren County Emergency your local Emergency Management Office for class schedule and enrollment information.

Warren County EMA (636) 456-3786

Congratulations on taking a proactive step to better serve yourself, your family, and your community!


 

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