Mission

The City of Victoria’s Community Emergency Response Team's (CERT) mission is simple: "Do the greatest good for the greatest number of people" when a major disaster strikes our community.
CERT's primary purpose is to assist first responders and the community during  a wide array of emergencies. CERT volunteers are utilized as a supplemental resource to provide basic care, stabilization and information until emergency responders can arrive on scene. Secondarily, CERT volunteers will focus on public education, community projects, and training in order to increase the emergency preparedness level for themselves and other members of the community.

Program Vision

We intend for our citizens to be better prepared to survive and recover from all-hazards including severe weather, flooding, major power outage, fire, transportation or hazardous materials incidents, weapons of mass destruction such as chemical, biological, radiological,  nuclear or explosive-incendiary incidents.

Trained and informed citizens will be better able to help themselves, their families, neighbors and co-workers in the event of a disaster that slows, hinders or overwhelms normal response capability. These citizens may also help prevent a terrorist attack or criminal act by watching for, and reporting to authorities, suspicious persons, vehicles or activity at sites such as drinking water system facilities and airports.
The Victoria Office of Emergency Management (O.E.M.) will utilize its C.E.R.T. members for:

Organization

CERT is organized under the direction and leadership of the Victoria County Office of Emergency Management.  CERT  members receive  22 hours of initial training in  disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression techniques, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue as well as disaster psychology and team organization. CERT Training culminates with a disaster simulation and comprehensive course review.  Completing CERT training in no way obligates an individual  to become a member of a call-out team.   Any little bit a volunteer can do to help the community is greatly appreciated.  However, the primary goal of the CERT program is to train and organize citizens so they can respond effectively and efficiently in an emergency situation.
As people are trained and choose to join the community emergency response effort, a CERT is formed. Initial efforts may result in a team with only a few members from across the community. As the number of members grow, a single community-wide team may subdivide following the Incident Command System(ICS) principle of Span of control until the ideal distribution is achieved.  Multiple CERTs are organized into a hierarchy of teams consistent with ICS principles.

Activation and Deployment

CERT’s may be activated by the following: The Victoria Office of Emergency Management, The Victoria Chief of Police, the Chief of the Victoria Fire Department, the Victoria County Sheriff, the Victoria County Fire Marshall, the City of Victoria Fire Marshall ( or their designees.)  As each CERT is trained and organized, its members select a team leader and alternate leader and identify a meeting location, or staging area, to be used in the event of a disaster.  The staging area is where the public first responders will interact with CERTS.  Having a centralized contact point makes it possible to communicate damage assessments and allocate volunteer resources more effectively. In an actual disaster, CERTs are deployed progressively and as needs dictate because damage may vary considerably from one location to another. Members are taught to assess their own needs and those in their immediate environment first. CERT members who encounter no need to their immediate area then report to their staging area, once activated, where they will be assigned roles based on current needs.  When CERTs deploy they do so in squads of four or five.  Members who find themselves in a heavily affected location send runners to staging areas to get help from available resources.  Ham and CB radio links may be utilized to increase communication capabilities and coordination. 

CERT Rules and Regulations

• You are not a Sheriff's Deputy or Fire Fighter.
  You are trained to function as an extension of the fire department's response to catastrophic disasters when such circumstances exist or when directed by emergency services officials.
• You are forbidden to carry guns, knives, sticks or other weapons.
  You have been trained for immediate disaster response and there is no need, place or legal authorization for you to carry or use any of the above. To do so will jeopardize your own safety and the continued existence of the CERT program in Victoria County.
• Your first responsibility is to yourself and your family.
  When disaster occurs your first responsibility is to ensure you own safety and the safety of your family. You should not venture out on your own to start search & rescue operations without your team members.
• Contact your CERT Leader.
  If disaster occurs such as a hurricane, tornado, plane crash, etc. After ensuring that you and your family are safe, you should assemble with your CERT leader and group for additional instruction and directions. Your CERT leader is your point of contact for the office of Emergency Management, Police and Fire Departments.  Do not attempt to contact the Sheriff's Office, Police or Fire Department directly unless it is a life-threatening emergency.
• If you cannot reach your CERT Leader
  due to phone lines down, power off, etc., respond to your pre-designated staging area for your CERT. Do this only when you are sure it is safe to do so. Do not leave a place of safety during a storm.
• Bring all of your recommended safety gear and CERT vest.
  When functioning as a member of the Victoria County CERT team, you should always have your issued CERT vest with you and display it on the outside of your clothing. Furthermore, wearing recommended safety gear would insure your basic safety requirements are met.
• Stay within the scope of your training.
  You have been trained under the curriculum of FEMA's Community Emergency Response Team program. Please confine your actions to those guidelines and stay within the scope of your training and certification.
• Stay within your limitations.
  You must confine your actions to your physical and resource limitations when responding as a member of a CERT. Such limitations maybe determined by, but not limited to, equipment available, physical abilities, knowledge, authority, hazards, etc.