Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

[SAR-EMT1]

I just wanted to ask why several here say UDF is a 'non-emergency' mission.
               - meaning no ill towards anyone-

I ask this simple question:  How do you know?

How does a UDF team know its a false alarm/dead battery/ forgetful owner/ resonating television until they see the ELT? we have no way of knowing what a signal is until we prosecute the dang thing. It could be a plane crunched in wood. A pilot may have set a bird down hard after having a midair MI.  We don't know.

Is it common? No gentlemen it is not.  Is it possible? Yes gentlemen it is.


-------------
As for CERT
I agree totally that it is 'below our capability' - for lack of a better term.
But if CAP GTs take the course - out of house- where we can interface with Fire, Police and EMS and FEMA/ESDA it might get us some recognition/missions.  The fact  is that some state folks see CERT as a GES test for SAR. If we dont take it -out of house- (where the face time is)
we may never be recognized by some potential IC's
-- see my earlier experience on page 1. --

[DNall]

I just wanted to ask why several here say UDF is a 'non-emergency' mission.

Cause if you put it down in a populated area then the controllers would know you're down. The basis for UDF is if appears to be non-distress in a populated area then you can send those guys. If you do come on a crash, then you call 911 & they're on-scene in a few minutes.

GT involves situations where it is more likly to be distress, well away from civilization, where you may be out there for a while, and where if you find something help is not going to easily get to you any time soon - the best chance you got is bringing in a rescue helo.

As for CERT...I agree totally that it is 'below our capability' - for lack of a better term. But if CAP GTs take the course - out of house- where we can interface with Fire, Police and EMS and FEMA/ESDA it might get us some recognition/missions.  The fact  is that some state folks see CERT as a GES test for SAR. If we dont take it -out of house- (where the face time is) we may never be recognized by some potential IC's

I understand what you're saying, but SaR managers are not in those courses with you, LE/EMS/FD/EOC/etc are not in that course with you, their front line volunteers are not in that course with you. CAP is coming to these full-time paid organizations & saying, "we have capabilities & resources greater than what you are capable of putting in the field." Not every state, and certainly not every little jurisdiction can field a combined expert air/grd rescue team, so the feds provide that to them in CAP. What we have to do is live up to that kind of standard. That being the same standard as the pros, but specialized in our areas of work & with air/grd/comm capabilities they aren't going to have access to.

What I'm saying is CERT is fine as a GES-type intro to disaster work, but it's insulting for most operators, and you don't want the unknown CAP sending the message to outside orgs that CERT is where they know us from, when really we're trying to sell ourselves as something greater than they can field.

[SAR-EMT1]

My 'job' - I hardly call it that since i have fun doing it-
is fire/ems. Around here you have many small locales with vol. fire/ems depts.  and very few paid depts. Point is, I know of some ems/fire/LE depts that require CERT of the membership, along with the ICS courses and storm spotting, damage assessment etc. 
If we approach them and say we have CERT, ICS through 800, over 100 hours of Wilderness Search and Rescue experience, an Airborne Search capability, (maybe SARTECH), EMTs on staff - if applicable-,  internal comms nationwide, etc... we might get some taskings.

The trick to approaching government folks is to put our capabilities in language they can understand. - It is for this same reason that ICS preaches comm talk, be in the clear without things like 10 codes or other identifiers that everyone may not know.

After they understand our capabilities one must dangle a carrot in front of the stubborn A** mule. This is done so that they see it as being of value to them. 
For example a local Red Cross group wanted to help at a charity event by providing several 'comfort stations' - snacks, water, seats etc... -
The local hospital was to have done this originally and billed the chamber of commerce for it. Red Cross considered it a training exercise for some folks and didn't charge the city a dime.
  We could do the same thing. - As far as offering services that others [FD/EMS/PD etc ]   usually pay for -

meh.. this isn't new info to anyone...

[BillB]

Locally CERT is working with the County EMS Reserve and Sheriffs Office to develop ground search teams. They practice "in the woods" at least once a month. Local CAP hasn't had a practice ground SAR training exercise in several years.  CAPs local capability amounts to UDF teams and that's about it. Communications for emergencies is provided by radio amatuers using base/mobile and hand held radios. CAP has lost a great percentage of communications capability due to the narrow band changeover and there are less than 5 member owned and corporate radios. There is a local corporate aircraft, but the neumber of form 5 mission pilots is very low.
So there is no reason for Emergency management/FEMA to consider CAP locally. CAP has nothing to offer

[DNall]

That's too bad, apply some leadership & fix it. There's radios to go around, just stand up more GTs & they'll give you radios. We haven't had any issue with that. I don't know why you aren't training or practicing, but we have a paid distributed sarex here every other month, formal Gp-wide UDF & GTM schools twice a year, plus local training & Sqs teaming up on stuff. In other words, it seems fixable with some motivation & leadership. Once you do that you can get out & network with EMAs & such to present your capabilities.

[Capt Rivera]

Locally CERT is working with the County EMS Reserve and Sheriffs Office to develop ground search teams. They practice "in the woods" at least once a month. Local CAP hasn't had a practice ground SAR training exercise in several years.  CAPs local capability amounts to UDF teams and that's about it. Communications for emergencies is provided by radio amatuers using base/mobile and hand held radios. CAP has lost a great percentage of communications capability due to the narrow band changeover and there are less than 5 member owned and corporate radios. There is a local corporate aircraft, but the neumber of form 5 mission pilots is very low.
So there is no reason for Emergency management/FEMA to consider CAP locally. CAP has nothing to offer

What Wing/Sq. are you in? Is that just a problem in your Sq or your entire wing or group.... Has anything changed since your last post?

[SARMedTech]

It should be noted that CERT and in particular the Medical Reserve Corps does not place non-credentialled people in positions that require extensive training and licensure. As a member of the Medical Reserve Corps, I can tell you that the people you are afraid might be out there doing things they arent trained to do are not actually doing those things. In the MRC there are administrative and medical positions. Administrative go nowhere near SAR, medical assistance,etc. Before folks go bashing an organization, it might be wise to look into it and see what is involved. Besides, as has already been said, after a tornado or hurricane, do you really care if its a secretary or an EMT that pulls you out from under a household appliance. People in CERT and MRC do what they have experience doing after receiving the initial training. MRC doesnt put non-medical folks through medical training due to credentialling and liability issues. Dont worry, CERT is not going to take away anything from CAP. I am an EMT and triage officer with my MRC unit and I can tell you that you wont find a 60 year old retired school teacher out there tagging folks in the rubble of a collapsed building. Besides, its about the mission and the service...there is room in the world for more than just CAP doing SAR and the like.