CERT History​

The Community Emergency Response Team concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs. As a result, the LAFD created the Disaster Preparedness Division with the purpose of training citizens and private and government employees. 

​The training program that LAFD initiated makes good sense and furthers the process of citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for disaster. It also increases their ability to safely help themselves, their family and their neighbors. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes the importance of preparing citizens. The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National Fire Academy adopted and expanded the CERT materials believing them applicable to all hazards.

The CERT course will benefit any citizen who takes it. This individual will be better prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a disaster. Additionally, if a community wants to supplement its response capability after a disaster, civilians can be recruited and trained as neighborhood, business, and government teams that, in essence, will be auxiliary responders. These groups can provide immediate assistance to victims in their area, organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the training, and collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responders with prioritization and allocation of resources following a disaster. Since 1993 when this training was made available nationally by FEMA, communities in 28 States and Puerto Rico have conducted CERT training.

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SCOTTS BLUFF CERT BEGINNING​
The first CERT training was advertised in the Scottsbluff Star-Herald on November 13, 2003.  Bob Hessler and Jeanie Knudtson were among those that attended the classes that weekend.  However, nothing was done to organize our own CERT team here in the Scotts Bluff County area until August 2006 when Bob Hessler took the initiative and offered a CERT training to the community.  We have been going strong ever since.  We have dedicated trainers who have given classes in Scottsbluff, Alliance, Sidney, Chadron and Crawford.  To date our trainers have prepared 140 citizens in Community Emergency Response.

​Besides attending regular training sessions, the CERT team continues to participate in search and rescue drills and disaster drills along with the Police and Fire Departments, Valley Ambulance, and Air Link.  CERT has been activated several times to assist the Police in searching for clues in apparent homicides.  CERT was activated when to search for an elderly gentleman with Alzheimers, who had wandered away from his home in the country.  CERT’s assistance has also been requested to help direct traffic for local parades and other community activities such as the flu shot clinic at the hospital.  CERT members also volunteer to help “Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful” by picking up trash along an assigned area of Hwy 26.  To read more about CERT’s activities, please go to our newsletters.