Central Oregon is vulnerable to any number of natural and manmade emergencies, from serious winter storms and wildfires, volcanic action or even the earthquake and fallout from the volatile Cascadia subduction zone.
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) was developed in 1985 in L.A. after realizing that the citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a Catastrophic disaster. It’s designed with basic safety, survival and rescue skills that improve the likelihood of surviving and safely helping others until further assistance can arrive.
Building on this, in 1994 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) expanded CERT to all hazards (Earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, etc.), and began making this program available to communities nationwide.
Following the 9/11 attacks it became apparent that a single major event will leave a city, county, state and even the federal government overwhelmed for weeks without basic services like electricity, police, fire, search and rescue, fuel for homes or cars, groceries and water. Communications and transportation will likely be affected as well.
The Central Oregon CERT program is locally operated and supported in association with the Deschutes County sheriffs Office, Bend Fire and rescue, COCC and your local neighborhood associations, and particularly your Larkspur Neighborhood Association.
In any major event, normal responders will be overwhelmed and CERT volunteers can fill the gap, starting an emergency response before fire and medical responders can get to all the affected neighborhoods. Community Resilience begins with the smallest steps, taken at the lowest levels of our community. The very foundation of an all-encompassing preparation, response and recovery plan begins with you, the individual reading this.
No matter the role you hold in our community, no matter how small a part you believe you play consider this; every citizen prepared to take care of his or herself becomes one less victim needing help from severely hampered and overwhelmed emergency services personnel after a disaster. This in part allows first responders to immediately begin to restore the safety and security of our streets and neighborhoods.
For more information on what you can do to prepare yourself and your family from any of the number of natural disasters that could affect the Central Oregon region, please see the attached links directing you to some great resources and answers to your questions.
CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) was developed in 1985 in L.A. after realizing that the citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a Catastrophic disaster. It’s designed with basic safety, survival and rescue skills that improve the likelihood of surviving and safely helping others until further assistance can arrive.
Building on this, in 1994 FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) expanded CERT to all hazards (Earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, etc.), and began making this program available to communities nationwide.
Following the 9/11 attacks it became apparent that a single major event will leave a city, county, state and even the federal government overwhelmed for weeks without basic services like electricity, police, fire, search and rescue, fuel for homes or cars, groceries and water. Communications and transportation will likely be affected as well.
The Central Oregon CERT program is locally operated and supported in association with the Deschutes County sheriffs Office, Bend Fire and rescue, COCC and your local neighborhood associations, and particularly your Larkspur Neighborhood Association.
In any major event, normal responders will be overwhelmed and CERT volunteers can fill the gap, starting an emergency response before fire and medical responders can get to all the affected neighborhoods. Community Resilience begins with the smallest steps, taken at the lowest levels of our community. The very foundation of an all-encompassing preparation, response and recovery plan begins with you, the individual reading this.
No matter the role you hold in our community, no matter how small a part you believe you play consider this; every citizen prepared to take care of his or herself becomes one less victim needing help from severely hampered and overwhelmed emergency services personnel after a disaster. This in part allows first responders to immediately begin to restore the safety and security of our streets and neighborhoods.
For more information on what you can do to prepare yourself and your family from any of the number of natural disasters that could affect the Central Oregon region, please see the attached links directing you to some great resources and answers to your questions.
