Lake County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Contact Information: Address: Lake County Search & Rescue 200 E Center St Madison SD 57042 Phone:605-256-7611 Fax: 605-256-7622 E-mail: lakesar@lakecountysd.com

To participate in your local CERT team contact 256-7611 or lakesar@lakecountysd.com

** CLICK HERE FOR CERT APPLICATION **

Organizations / Businesses that wish to have their own training program contact - 256-7611 or lakesar@lakecountysd.com

On-line Information:

• CERT Training (on-line)
• South Dakota CERT
• South Dakota CERT Organizations
• United We Serve 
• CERT Equipment options

CERT Group Stash Kits Inventory:

CERT Individual Kits Inventory:

WHAT IS CERT?

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program that helps educate citizens about hazards they may face and trains them in lifesaving skills so that they are better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. CERT programs assist communities in taking care of themselves in the aftermath of a major disaster when first responders are over whelmed or unable to respond.

Community Emergency Response Teams are trained to:

• Conduct an initial size-up in their homes and workplaces.
• Reduce immediate dangers by turning off utilities, suppressing small fires, evacuating the area and helping others.
• Provide immediate assistance to victims in their area.
• Organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the CERT training.
• Work with CERT members and volunteers to work at a command post, staging area, or medical triage and treatment areas.
• Collect damage information and develop a plan of operation based on life-saving priorities and available resources.
• Apply their training to situations where CERT members make a difference.
• Collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responders with prioritization and allocation of resources when they arrive.

WHO CAN HELP

Volunteers (age 16 and older) are being recruited and trained as neighborhood teams that, in essence, will become auxiliary responders. In these situations, CERT members may initially be acting on their own, and their actions can make a difference.

WHO WILL BE EQUIPPED

Emergency Kits will be issued to trained members and additional kits will be pre-positioned at strategic locations throughout the county for you to use in the event you are called to serve. Each kit has a specific use, and you will be trained to use them properly.

WHAT WILL BE TRAINED

CERT Training will prepare volunteers to be prepared to respond and cope with the aftermath of a disaster. Training is approximately 20 hours in duration and counts towards EMT re-certification.

There is NO cost for the CERT volunteer training, which includes:

• Disaster Preparedness
• Disaster Fire Suppression
• Disaster Medical Operations
• Light Search & Rescue Operations

TARGET LOCATION OF CERT TEAMS

TARGET AUDIENCE

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