NEMCo is a partnership among the cities of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park, and Shoreline Fire Department to maximize each of the participating agencies emergency preparedness efforts and resources to serve our Northshore community.
Field Operations Team (formerly the Community Emergency Response Team,CERT)
FIELD OPERATIONS TEAM
As a field Operations team member the basic idea is to use CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) skills to perform the large number of tasks needed in emergencies or disasters. This frees highly trained professional responders for more technical tasks. Much of the field operations training concerns the Incident Command System and organization, so members fit easily into larger command structures.
Residents may use their CERT skills in their own neighborhood if affected by disaster. Please note this is not a NEMCo or agency activation. An effort should be made to report status to NEMCo, size-up the loss in your neighborhood and begin performing the skills learned to minimize further loss of life, property, and environment. Teams may choose to safely respond in their neighborhood until redirected or relieved by professional responders on-scene. Teams in neighborhoods may be activated and deployed by NEMCo.
Volunteer Activation
NEMCo may activate and dispatch teams in order to gather or respond to intelligence about an incident. Teams may be dispatched to affected neighborhoods, or organized to support operations. Members may augment support staff at an Incident Command Post (ICP) or Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Additional teams may also be created to guard a morgue, locate supplies and food, convey messages to and from other field operations teams and local authorities, and other duties on an as-needed basis as identified by the team leader or the Emergency Manager.
In the short term, field operations may perform data gathering, especially to locate mass-casualties requiring professional response, or situations requiring professional rescues, simple fire-fighting tasks (for example, small fires, turning off gas), light search and rescue, damage evaluation of structures, triage and first aid. In the longer term, they may assist in the evacuation of residents, or assist with setting up a neighborhood shelter.
While responding at the request of NEMCo, properly credentialed members are Emergency Worker Volunteers and will be provided a mission number.
CERT CLASSES :
The CERT basic curriculum equips community residents with the knowledge and skills to prepare themselves, their families, and neighbors for emergencies, disasters, or other community incidents.
Regardless of your age, background, experience, or capabilities, there’s a role for everyone in enhancing community resilience. Our NEMCo class, led by trained CERT instructors, cover a range of topics including Fire Safety, Basic First Aid, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search & Rescue, Utility Management, and overall preparedness. Join us, be prepared and make a difference in your community.
CERT is for everyone! Topics are presented in an easy-to-understand, step-by-step process, with hands-on training to build your knowledge and skills. After some class practice, you and your classmates will participate in a disaster simulation to give you the opportunity to apply what you have learned and build confidence in your new skills and abilities.
After completing this CERT course, the opportunities do not end. Join NEMCo to become one of our Field Operations or community members who serve our Northshore community, police, and fire departments throughout the year by participating at community events and so much more. NEMCo also offers additional training in GMRS Emergency Radio Communications, amateur radio (ham) communications through the RACES branch, Emergency Operations Center management, its drone program, and teaches additional emergency skill sets with more specialized member training through our monthly training program.
MEETINGS. Please see our All Volunteer and Field Operations Team meetings page for additional meeting information.
If you are excited about learning CERT skills and participating as a NEMCo volunteer, check out our Membership page!
NEMCo CERT Graduates
CERT CLASSES - Offered.
By using the CERT-certified course graduates, the Field Operations Team is an organization of volunteer emergency workers who have received specific training in basic disaster response skills with the intent of supplementing existing emergency responders in the event of a major emergency, disaster, or utilizing their skills to assist family members and neighbors.
Following a major disaster, local Fire, Police, City, and other first responders may not be able to meet the demand for their services. Residents and visitors to our community may need to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life-sustaining needs.
The NEMCo CERT-training program will educate participants about local hazards, basic disaster preparedness, and provide hands on training that includes fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations. After completing the CERT academy, volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in additional drills and exercises to keep their skills sharp and continue to enhance their knowledge and abilities.
NW Region Risks
We offer CERT training because our region is ranked number four in the U.S.A. for being disaster-prone. A disaster is a sudden event, such as an accident or a natural catastrophe, that causes great damage or loss of life. In a disaster, first responders will be overwhelmed and CERT-trained volunteers have the skills to help themselves, their families, neighborhoods, and the community. The Washington Emergency Management Division recommends being Two Weeks Ready.
If you asked people to list the hazards and risks in Western Washington, most would include winter storms, power outages, flooding, forest fires, earthquakes, volcanoes, liquefaction, lahars and now pandemics. The Northshore Council PTSA has a useful website that explains why we should prepare and provides information about types of hazards. NEMCo has a Preparedness page that provides a simple 4-step process for being prepared to handle these hazards.
Teen CERT
In Northshore School District, Woodinville High School (WHS), now offers a one-semester elective CERT course (VEC100) to students grades 9 to 12. In addition to CERT, students will participate in the American Heart Association (AHA) first aid training (certification upon demonstration of knowledge and skills), radio communications, active shooter training, and other emergency response skills. NEMCo is proud to participate in this training and recommends it to all our students. Click here for more information
NEMCo offers Team CERT training, sponsored by FEMA, a national program of volunteers in disaster preparedness and emergency response.
CERT training teaches students about the potential disasters that could affect this area and how to safely and responsibly respond to them. Through CERT Students can serve the community and help take care of their schools and homes. Students will fulfill 24 hours of Community Service Hours towards graduation and college applications. There are other volunteer opportunities to obtain service hours during the year. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
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Disaster Preparedness: Addresses hazards specific to the community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster, as well as an overview of CERT and local laws governing volunteers.
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Fire Suppression: Covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. However, the thrust of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.
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Medical Operations Part I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.
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Medical Operations Part II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head-to-toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, and performing basic first aid.
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Light Search and Rescue Operations: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and rescuer safety.
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Psychology and Team Organization: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and workers, and addresses CERT organization and management.
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Course Review and Disaster Simulation: Participants review and practice the skills that they have learned during the previous six sessions in a disaster activity.
CERT Curriculum
The CERT Basic Course is delivered in the community by a team of first responders and other WA State-credentialed volunteers. The organization and timing of training and meeting varies from program to program. It is broken up into three-hour blocks over a series of evenings, weekdays, or weekends.