The Vietnamese Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

As a part of the Vietnamese Community Emergency Response Team, we are equipped to assist during such natural disasters and help take care of our communities.

Up to this day, we continue to assist our community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vietnamese Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is ready to help during natural disasters that are most likely to occur in San José. It raises important disaster response skills development, such as fire safety, light search, rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. 

We are trained to react safely, responsibly, and effectively to emergencies and support communities during non-emergency events.  

CERT members through hands-on practice and realistic exercises acquire the expertise in safely responding to manmade and natural disasters, organize disaster response, and raise awareness on preparedness through community events

CERT Overview

1. Disaster Preparedness – Tackling dangers that are unique to specific areas. 
2. Small Fire Suppression – Includes fire composition, flammable materials, fire catalysts, and suppression strategies. 
3. Medical Operations Part I – Practice diagnostics and airway obstruction treatment, bleeding, and trauma using basic triage and treatment techniques.
4. Medical Operations Part II – Evaluating patients head to toe assessment, identifying a medical treatment, and conducting basic first aid.
5. Light Search and Rescue Operations – Learning search and rescue planning, assessment, search and rescue techniques, and safety of the rescuers. 
6. Psychology and Team Organization – Identifying signs and symptoms experienced by the victims. 
7. Course Review and Disaster Simulation – Review and practice of skills that have been learned during the six sessions.