The Teen CERT program, which stands for Community Emergency Response Team, is a national training program designed for teens who would like to volunteer to help out during a local disaster. Just like adults, teens throughout communities in the United States can benefit from learning about potential disasters that could affect the area and how to respond to these disasters in the best way possible. Emergency response is ultimately what dictates how communities cope with disaster and rebuild later. Read on, and find out more about this program and how training can benefit all teens.
What Does the Program Teach Teens Who Complete it?
Not everyone knows how they will act in a disaster. Since disasters strike people of all ages, it is important that people young and old know what to do. When you are trained to handle an emergency or to deal with a hazardous situation, you will feel confident in your actions and you will know what steps to take to mitigate loss and to potentially save lives. In the chaos, a young adolescent who has completed the introductory class can step in for professional responders until they arrive at the scene. The class will teach you to:
- Extinguish small fires before they get out of control
- Set up a medical treatment zone after a disaster
- Conduct search and rescue missions
- Assist people injured in an emergency
- Assist responders
- Identify potential hazards
- Reduce the incidence and risk of fire in buildings
- Help calm people so they can cope with disasters
What Are the Benefits of Completing the Training Program?
There is a long list of benefits associated with offering emergency management and disaster preparedness training to teens within a community. The biggest benefit will be to the community itself. More young residents can be involved in keeping the place that they live safe, and this can help reduce crime rates in the future. It can also benefit the community by giving emergency responders like fire fighters and police officers a hand during chaotic times where there are not enough to do everything.
For the teenager, completing training helps them play a bigger role and feel more fulfilled. They will develop skills they’ll use now and for the rest of their life. Those who find a passion in disaster preparedness and response can use their training to pursue a career in a related field like emergency management or law enforcement.
Resource: Top 10 Best Online Emergency Management Degree Programs
How to Complete Teen CERT Training
If you would like to start your training, you can start with the IS-317 independent web training course. This takes about 8 hours to complete and will teach you the response skills you need to become a part of the team and to volunteer. Before you will be eligible to volunteer, you will then need to complete classroom curriculum. This classroom curriculum goes more in depth on topics discussed in the online lectures and webinars. To find a program near you, look at the program registration directory and then contact the program directly.
If you want to support local emergency services, you can fulfill your goals at any age. Sign up for the free training offered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and you can become a valuable asset in your community. Find local teen CERT training programs and designate the time it takes to complete training online and in class.