The mission of the UTD CERT program is to work in partnership with the university's Office of Emergency Management, Safety Office, and the university community to produce a pool of faculty, staff and students trained in disaster preparedness and response to provide leadership and coordination during an emergency, as critical support to professional responders and for immediate assistance to victims.

The CERT program is promoted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Citizen Corp. More info is available at http://www.citizencorps.gov/cert

The UT Dallas Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area (both at home and at the university) and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.

The CERT training for community groups is usually delivered in 2 hour sessions, one day a week, over a 7 week period. The training consists of the following:

• Session I, DISASTER PREPAREDNESS:
  Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster. As the session progresses, the instructor begins to explore an expanded response role for civilians in that they should begin to consider themselves disaster workers. Since they will want to help their family members and neighbors, this training can help them operate in a safe and appropriate manner. The CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.
• Session II, DISASTER FIRE SUPPRESSION:
  Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.
• Session III, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS PART I:
  Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.
• Session IV, DISASTER MEDICAL OPERATIONS, PART II:
  Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.
• Session V, LIGHT SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS:
  Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer safety.
• Session VI, DISASTER PSYCHOLOGY AND TEAM ORGANIZATION:
  Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.
• Session VII, COURSE REVIEW AND DISASTER SIMULATION:
  Participants review their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in disaster activity.

At the end of the training, CERT participants are given an opportunity to test their knowledge in a disaster simulation exercise. After completing the training and disaster simulation, the trainees become members of the UT Dallas CERT Program.

The UT Dallas CERT Program is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through training, faculty, staff, and students can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective in a disaster situation. The CERT course will benefit any faculty, staff, or student who takes it.

UT Dallas is the second institution of higher education to organize and undertake such a training program in the State of Texas joining North Harris College in Houston, TX. The UT Dallas CERT Program joins other established programs in Flower Mound, Coppell, Denton, Frisco, and McKinney in providing this important training to its community. Since 1993 when this training was made available nationally by FEMA, communities in 28 States and Puerto Rico have conducted CERT training.

Why Cert?

CERT is about community (Being an active member, not a spectator).

CERT is about being prepared (Being ready to face a disaster, rather than reacting to one). Make you and your family ready.

CERT is about YOU.

Join us, be part of making UTD a safe place to work and study. Classes will begin soon. Please visit our website in yahoo groups at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/utdpdcert/ for more information.

This program is open to anyone who is part of UTD, whether you are Faculty, Staff, or Student. We welcome you all, even if it is simply to ask questions and find out more about us.

CERT Training Application Form Your Name:    Email Address:    Contact Phone #:    UTD Affiliation: Student Faculty Staff Alumnus Contractor Non-Affiliated Any Comments? (Please list your Department if Faculty/Staff)