When I decided to take preparing seriously, I looked for classes, attended meet up, and seminars to educate me. During that time, I heard about the NETs (Neighborhood Emergency Teams) and I joined the team in my neighborhood. That was the best move I’ve taken to become prepare because it is free hands-on education. All I had to do was show up. If you really want to be in the know before, during and after a disaster, I would suggest becoming one of your Neighborhood First Responder. Here in my city we are called the NET’s (Neighborhood Emergency Teams). Everyone else are called C.E.R.T (Community Emergency Response Teams).
The NET and CERT programs educate volunteers about disaster preparedness within communities. We are trained about hazards that may impact our lives and trained in light search and rescue, fire safety, team organization, incident command structure, medical operations and much more.
C.E.R.T and NET teams are residents around the country who trained to provide emergency disaster assistance within their own neighborhoods. Team members are trained to save lives and property until professional responders can arrive. These volunteers members are specially trained to help others without putting themselves in harm’s way. C.E.R.T and NET members are:
- Prepared to be self-sufficient for two weeks during any emergency.
- Able to provide emergency assistance to their family and immediate neighbors.
- Able to work with emergency response teams to save lives and property in their neighborhood.
- Able to guide untrained volunteers who want to help others during a disaster.
If and when their is a citywide or regional emergencies in cities, neighborhoods will be on their own. They will need to be self-sufficient to survive on their own for at least 2 week, who knows, it could be longer. Remember Flint, Hurricane Katrina, Maria and Harvey? We need to be prepared because we can not rely on others. We must rely on ourselves. C.E.R.T and NET volunteer members will be the first on-the-scene because they are in your neighborhood. Depending on the disaster, firefighters and police, the true first responders, may not be able to reach you fast enough due to impassable streets. So, they will not get to you in a timely manner like they would before the disaster. It could take them days to reach you.
The bonus of being a member of these volunteer teams are the priceless skills that you will learn. Become a first responder in your neighborhood by contacting your city or state agency for information.
Start training today.
~ Afrovivalist
