Imelda Brewer
Member-at-Large
UPLAND CERT
Experience Upland CERT
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Upland Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is to help Upland’s residents to be more prepared to respond to multi-hazard incidents by forming neighborhood response teams that can plan, respond, mitigate, and recover from emergency incidents until Upland’s Emergency Services can respond. Upland CERT will form a response organization that the City of Upland, Upland Fire and Police Departments can rely on, when activated, to perform response tasks that allow the Emergency Services personnel to respond to higher priority tasks. Upland CERT will plan and deliver emergency preparedness education and community outreach programs.
In addition, Upland CERT is available to assist City agencies with non-emergency programs and services. Upland CERT has provided trained personnel to assist with the Amgen Tour of California bike race, the annual Fourth of July celebrations, Upland Lemon Festival, the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Upland and the Fire Department Open House and Preparedness Fair.
About Community Emergency Response Teams
The Community Emergency Response Team Program's concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. The 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California. Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs. As a result, the LAFD created this program to train citizens and private and government employees.
The training program that LAFD initiated makes good sense and furthers the process of citizens understanding their responsibility in preparing for disaster. It also increases their ability to safely help themselves, their family and their neighbors. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recognizes the importance of preparing citizens.
The Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and the National Fire Academy adopted and expanded the CERT materials making them applicable to all hazards.
The CERT course will benefit every citizen who takes it. This individual will be better prepared to respond to and cope with the aftermath of a disaster. Additionally, if a community wants to supplement its response capability after a disaster, civilians can be recruited and trained as neighborhood, business, and government teams that, in essence, will be auxiliary responders. These groups can provide immediate assistance to victims in their area, organize spontaneous volunteers who have not had the training, and collect disaster intelligence that will assist professional responders with prioritization and allocation
of resources following a disaster.
History of Upland CERT
Upland CERT was founded in October 2011 and we taught our first class in 2012. To date, over 400 Upland residents have been trained in the CERT program. Upland CERT is affiliated with the Upland Police Department and Sergeant M. Duran is our liaison to that Department.
With the assistance of two San Bernardino County districts, Upland CERT was able to construct a CERT trailer which is used for training and can be towed to disaster sites to serve as our Operations and Logistics center. The trailer is equipped with emergency medical and rescue supplies.
Upland CERT is a non-funded program, and has raised its operational funds through the hard work of members. Grants from Upland Rotary and Southern California Edison have assisted in helping to fulfill our mission. Upland CERT is part of the Upland Community Foundation which provides our 501-c-3 status as a not-for-profit organization and provides our banking services.
"Great things are done by a series
of small things brought together"
Vincent Van Gogh
Contact Upland CERT
Upland CERT
Attention: Diana Vasquez
1499 W. 13th Street
Upland, CA 91786