Chain of Command: USF CERT’s officers were outlined, and can be viewed here.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Development: Currently in development is USF CERT’s SOP, which will outline basic program procedures and guidelines. Included will be topics such as membership status, program organization, conduct, equipment, activation procedures, and more. This document is still in the works and will be available soon.
Overview of Future Meetings:
General Body Meetings will be held on the last Monday of each month. Dates for the Spring 2017 semester include: Jan 30, Feb 27, Mar 27, Apr 24. Meetings will include discussion of upcoming events and trainings. Trainings may include full training sessions, short drills, or web based trainings.
Exercises and Events:
An overview of upcoming events:
Feb 13th: Preparedness On The Lawn
Feb 19th: SART (State Animal Response Team) Pet Sheltering Exercise
Feb 25th: Advanced Disaster Life Support (ADLS) Exercise – Volunteers needed
Feb 27th, Mar 1st, Mar 4th: CERT Basic Training Course for new members
TBA Mar: Team Social – open to ideas and date
TBA Aug: USF CERT has been asked to assist in teaching a Teen CERT class at county high schools
TBA Oct: Hillsborough County CERT Exercise
Details on events can be found on our Calendar.
USF CERT Goals:
Our current training goals are as follows, as noted in the 2016 Hillsborough County CERT Improvement Plan
ICS Training: FEMA Independent Study classes IS 100, 200, 700, and 800 are required to be completed.
Search and Rescue (SAR) training: Wilderness and wildlands SAR training is needed and will be coordinated by program officers to ensure all USF CERT members are properly trained. Some officers are currently independently studying for the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) SARTECH III certification. For more info on SARTECH, contact Jay, Anthony, or Chris.
Communications: HAM Radio training is highly recommended for members, and is required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate a HAM Radio. Classes are currently being coordinated by USF CERT Officers. More Info to come.
Continued practice to maintain skills in triage and medical operations is highly recommended.
Upcoming Training:
We encourage and are exploring the possibility of bringing in an instructor to teach Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR/AED for CERT member certification.
As noted above, SARTECH training is available and encouraged, although not required.
HAM Radio training is also encouraged, but not required. Standard radio training, however, is required and available to all members for free. Standard Radio training was conducted at the end of this meeting.
Triage Activity:
A short triage exercise was conducted to refresh attendees on triage skills. Pictures and information on victims was shown and members practiced determining their potential triage tag.
Communications Drill:
A short training was conducted to educate members on use of radios using handheld short range radios. Training emphasized how to efficiently use the radio for communication.
Important Notes:
Recruitment for our next CERT Basic Training is actively open. If you know anybody interested in the program, encourage them to sign up for the class!
Volunteers are needed for the ADLS Exercise and Preparedness On The Lawn. If you are interested, contact an officer.
ID Cards and T-shirts are in development, more info soon.
Contact Info:
Jay Rajyaguru jayrajyaguru@mail.usf.edu 407-924-6500
Christopher Smyth Smyth.USFCERT@yahoo.com