CERT Bell Hill has defined some roles for individual volunteers with a commitment level far below that required for a Tier 2 trained CERT member. We are developing plans for utilizing volunteers at the time of an emergency. We are recruiting people to fill those roles. See below for the roles you can volunteer for now.
SUMMARY OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE VOLUNTEER ROLES
These are roles that need to be fulfilled at the time of an emergency. Most do not require advance training or practice. Just sign up with the CERT Bell Hill team as a potential volunteer so we can keep you informed of our emergency plans and possibly contact you for help at the time of an event.
- Caretaker (Provide comfort care for the injured, handicapped, children, pets)
- Food Service (prepare and distribute food for victims and responders)
- Scout (survey and report neighborhood injuries and damages)
- Messenger (Carry messages between CERT members and residents)
- Communications (Monitor and report emergency communications)
- Materials assistant (acquire and/or distribute emergency supplies)
- Road Management (clear & repair roads, direct emergency vehicles)
- First Aid or Skilled Medical (medical treatment for the injured)
- General Help (standby help at the CERT gathering area)
Click Here to Sign Up as a CERT Volunteer
Description of Volunteer Roles
- CARETAKER – Be a caretaker for the injured, disabled, elderly, children and displaced pets. A caretaker will provide comfort, care and support for victims and others displaced from their normal support or environment. The caretaker may care for the victims at a CERT medical treatment area or at the victim’s home or at the caretaker’s home or at a temporary shelter. In a major emergency there will be a need for many caretakers.
- FOOD SERVICE – Provide food for the emergency responders, volunteers, and victims. Emergency responders and volunteers will be away from home and busy helping the victims. Victims will be displaced and/or incapacitated. Wholesome food, drinks, and snacks will be greatly appreciated and give the responders the energy they need to continue their work.
- SCOUT – Scout the community looking for people that need help, and damage to roads, homes, and utilities. Report your findings to the CERT leadership.
- MESSENGER – Phone service is likely to be unavailable. Most people will not have FRS radios. Radio connectivity will have blind spots. CERT leaders will need to communicate with their members, neighborhood captains and residents. A messenger will carry messages back and forth across the community when phone and radio service is not available.
- COMMUNICATIONS – A communications assistant will help monitor, report, and log radio broadcasts from emergency radio stations and weather stations, and incident command posts, and radio communications between CERT members and residents. You may be able do this from your home or you may work at the CERT Bell Hill command post. You may be issued an FRS radio and asked to go to a location where you can relay messages between locations unable to directly communicate. Familiarity with FRS (walkie talkie) and/or HAM radios is very helpful but not required.
- MATERIALS – A materials assistant will help manage emergency supplies. The CERT team has several caches of supplies in Highland Hills. You may be asked to help distribute the supplies to where they are needed. You may be asked to forage the community for additional needed supplies such as blankets, bedding, clothing, tarps, tents, water, tools, etc.
- ROADS – A road management assistant will help clear the roads so emergency responders can quickly get to where they are needed. You will help identify open routes and major blockages. The major work is expected to be removing trees and clearing paths through landslides. Ability to bring or operate a chainsaw and/or road clearing equipment is a big plus but not required. You may be asked to help direct emergency vehicles to where they are needed.
- FIRST AID – Skilled medical help is likely to be the most useful assistance we can utilize. Ambulances and Emergency Medical Technicians are not likely to be available. Please let us know if you are trained in first aid or have more advance medical skills. You may be asked to assist at a CERT or neighborhood medical treatment area or to assess and treat reported ailments in undamaged homes.
- GENERAL HELP – At the time of an emergency, check in at the CERT Bell Hill command post in front of 142 Owls Nest Road and ask how you can help.