Emergency Links:

DIAL 911

City Of Elk Grove

City Of Galt

City of Sacramento

County Of Sacramento

The Elk Grove / Galt CERT program is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people. It is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where YOU, the citizens and leaders of Elk Grove and Galt, will be initially on your own and how your actions can make a difference.

Through training YOU can be a vital resource in your community.

 The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area 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.

 Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate lifesaving and life sustaining needs.

 One also expects that under these kinds of conditions, family members, fellow employees, and neighbors will spontaneously try to help each other. This was the case following the Mexico City earthquake where untrained, spontaneous volunteers saved 800 people. However, 100 people lost their lives while attempting to save others. This is a high price to pay and is preventable through training.

 If we can predict that emergency services will not meet immediate needs following a major disaster, especially if there is no warning as in an earthquake, and people will spontaneously volunteer, what can government do to prepare citizens for this eventuality?

• Present citizens the facts about what to expect following a major disaster in terms of immediate servicesGive the message about their responsibility for mitigation and preparedness.
• Train them in needed lifesaving skills with emphasis on decision making skills, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number.
• Organize teams so that they are an extension of first responder services offering immediate help to victims until professional services arrive.

The answer is........ CERT