Join the CERT Program
Be Disaster Ready
Preparing for disasters large and small takes a small amount of equipment, supplies, training, and above all, practice.
BLACK MOUNTAIN'S
COMMUNITY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT)
Become a Community Emergency Volunteer
Our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) provides training, structure, and accountability for citizen volunteers of the Town of Black Mountain in serving their community during disasters.
The CERT also deploys to non-emergency events and emergency scenes, which provides opportunities for members to serve by collaborating with each other, practicing their skills, and operating within the town’s public safety (Police & Fire) chain of command.
Necessarily, members of the CERT are trained, equipped, and prepared to survive disasters in their own home– so CERT membership is by default a form of disaster preparedness for our community.
Deployment of the CERT throughout each year is also an opportunity to develop relationships and interoperate with Black Mountain’s police and fire agencies, as well as county EMS and other first responders across the region.
Our CERT program adheres to the standards and best practices of CERT as defined by the federal government and the State of North Carolina, and is registered with North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM).
Duties of the Emergency Volunteer in a Disaster
After assuring their own family is safe, the CERT member is by default a resource to their immediate neighborhood – organizing their neighbors for a coordinated response as the situation requires, and communicating to the Black Mountain Police/Fire/EMS agencies their status and needs.
CERT members are equipped with two-way radios and have the skills to communicate with our town’s public safety agencies and/or Emergency Operations Center (EOC) even if cellular and telephones are down. This may provide a temporary replacement for the 9-1-1 infrastructure that may be compromised or unavailable during a disaster, providing “eyes and ears” for public safety agencies in the initial hours of such a disaster.
CERT members may also be deployed elsewhere in town during a disaster, depending upon the situation and needs.
There is a long list of potential duties for CERT members during a disaster, depending upon their skills and experience and the need for additional personnel by police/fire/EMS. These could include:
-
Road Blocks / Traffic Control
-
Damage Assessment
-
Light Search and Rescue
-
Evacuation notifications on foot/bicycle/vehicle
-
First Aid / BLS for “walking wounded” to preserve EMS assets for ALS patients
-
Drone operations
-
Communications, both within the town and to the outside world (including but not limited to amateur radio operators)
-
Food/water for first responders
-
Shelter operations until additional providers arrive (i.e. Red Cross, faith-based organizations), county resources, etc.)
-
Food/water distribution points for the public
-
Security and access control to key facilities
-
Mapping and record-keeping in the EOC, as well as other responsibilities in the EOC
-
Phone bank staffing
-
Publishing and distributing information (under the direction of the PIO)
-
Pet and large animal shelter
"Helene showed us the incredible power of neighbors helping neighbors. Citizens with chainsaws, specific skill sets, UTVs, and big hearts stepped up before our officers could even finish the first wave or rescues.
Launching CERT means that the same community spirit will come to the next emergency equipped, organized, and ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our first responders from the very first moment."
​
-- Chief Steve Parker, Black Mountain Police Department
Other Duties of the Emergency Volunteer
The CERT members are not only "on duty" for disasters, but for a variety of events and emergency responses. Most of these duties require additional special training and/or certifications, which the Black Mountain CERT Program will facilitate.
​
It is our intention to welcome members with special skills and background experience that can apply in both disasters, emergencies, and events such as medical training, wilderness/outdoor leadership, communications technical and/or operating skills, G.I.S. and mapping capabilities, drone operation, and wildland firefighting.
​
Potential Duties include:
​
-
Providing information on disaster preparedness and home safety at events such as the Sourwood Festival, Safety Saturdays, and other public venues
-
Traffic control during parades and events
-
EMT/First Aid standbys during parades, events, and athletic races
-
Drone operation in support of public safety
-
Search and rescue (Wilderness First Responder certification, for example)
-
Photography/videography of incidents for the benefit of the town, police, and fire
-
Communications during parades, events, and athletic races (technical capacity as well as Tactical Dispatchers) including but not limited to amateur radio operators
-
Firefighter rehab
-
Wildland fire corps (appropriately trained and certified)
​
"We are proud to invite community members to take an active role in emergency preparedness.
CERT volunteers are a vital extension of our response efforts, and their training can make a real difference when seconds count."
​
-- Chief John Coffey, Black Mountain Fire Department
Member Benefits
Members are volunteers, and provide their own equipment and method of transportation.
​
Upon acceptance as a Member and completion of initial training and onboarding, Members are issued equipment:
​
-
Volunteer ID Card/Credentials
-
CERT green safety vest
-
CERT green safety helmet
-
Safety goggles
-
Non-latex gloves
-
Patch (for attaching to go-bag pack)
-
Roll of caution tape
​
Responding Members are also issued:
​
-
Two-way VHF-UHF radio with speaker mic and battery charger
-
CERT T-Shirt
-
CERT Ball cap
​​
A complete list of the required personal clothing and equipment provided by each Member is provided during onboarding.
Minimum Requirements for Membership
Candidates for membership in the Black Mountain CERT Program must meet the minimum requirements, submit an application for membership, and be accepted by the Program. Acceptance is not guaranteed, and membership may be revoked under certain conditions.
​
Minimum Requirements to Apply include:
​
-
Completion of the online application form
-
Successful clearance of a background check
-
Have a valid driver's license
-
Be at least 18 years old
-
Live, work, or worship within the Black Mountain Fire District (a special service district that is larger than the town limits, includes the communities of Ridgecrest and Montreat)
-
Sign a waiver and liability release of the Town of Black Mountain
​
Candidates accepted into the CERT Program become a Regular Member upon:
​​
-
Completion of the CERT Basic Training Class (21 hours of training, the NC-317 Certification)
-
Completion of the FEMA IS-315 CERT and the ICS (2 hour independent study course online)
-
CPR/AED BLS card
-
Participating in a meeting, event, or training session at least 4 times each year.
​​
The Black Mountain CERT Program provides opportunities for the NC-317 class at least twice a year, and the CPR/AED BLS certification throughout the year.
​
Regular Members that wish to reach Responding Member status must demonstrate:
​
-
Completion of the IS-100, IS-200, and IS-700 ICS online classes
-
Participate in events and training sessions at least 8 times each year
-
Complete the Black Mountain Communications Training, and demonstrate proficiency of communicating by two-way radio
​