Community Emergency Response Team - Fire Rescue

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Polk County Fire Rescue's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the 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. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

• CERT Team Leader. The first CERT member on the scene and designated Incident Commander (IC) until someone more competent arrives. Makes the initial scene assessment and determines the course of action. Assumes role of Safety Officer until role is assigned, assigns member roles, and designates triage and treatment area, morgue, and vehicle traffic routes. Coordinates and directs operations, determines logistical needs and ways to meet those needs through team members or citizen volunteers on scene, reports on the operation and victims, and communicates and coordinates with the IC, local authorities, and other CERT team leaders. Team leader is identified by two pieces of crossed tape on the hard hat.
• Safety Officer. Checks team members prior to deployment to ensure they're safe and equipped for the operation. Determines safe or unsafe working environments, ensures team accountability, supervises operations (when possible) where team members and victims are at direct physical risk, and alerts team members when unsafe conditions arise.
• Fire Suppression Team. Suppress small fires in designated work areas or as needed. May assist other teams as needed.
• Search and Rescue Team. Search for and provide rescue of victims as is prudent under the conditions. May assist other teams as needed.
• Medical Triage Team. Provide START triage for victims and mark victims with category of injury per the standard operating procedures. May assist other teams as needed.
• Medical Treatment Team. Provide medical treatment to victims. This task is normally accomplished in the Treatment Area, but may take place in the affected area. May assist other teams as needed.

Polk County Fire Rescue provides Advanced Life Support transport to all residents and visitors of Polk County. It also provides fire suppression, rescue services and fire prevention services to all of unincorporated Polk County and the municipalities of Eagle Lake, Polk City, Mulberry, Lake Hamilton and Hillcrest Heights.