NERT Student Manual

San Francisco Neighborhood Emergency Response Team

Author

San Francisco Fire Department

Published

December 31, 2024

NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY

RESPONSE TEAM

Participant Training Manual

Dean Crispen

** Chief of Department**

Revised 2025

0.1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was developed and implemented by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 1985. They recognized that citizens would very likely be on their own during the early stages of a catastrophic disaster. Accordingly, LAFD decided that some basic training in disaster survival and rescue skills would improve the ability of citizens to survive and to safely help others until responders or other assistance arrives.

The training model that the LAFD initiated was adopted by other fire departments around the country, including communities where the major threat is hurricanes rather than earthquakes. Building on this development, in 1994 the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) expanded the CERT materials to make them applicable to all hazards and made the program available to communities nationwide. Since that time, thousands of dedicated trainers, organizations, and citizens have embraced the responsibility to learn new skills and become prepared to execute safe and effective emergency responses. We salute you.

This Manual was developed from materials found in the CERT curriculum and the original manual of the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team in San Francisco.

Prepared and Presented By

The San Francisco Fire Department

Neighborhood Emergency Response Team Training (NERT)

NERT Training OfficeSFFD Division of Training

2310 Folsom Street

San Francisco, CA 94110

  1. 970-2022

Website: sf-fire.org/nert

E-mail: sffdnert@sfgov.org

0.2 Table of Contents

0.3 WELCOME and COURSE GUIDELINES

Welcome to the NERT training program. The SFFD is very happy that you have decided to take this important step in preparing yourself and our city for a disaster. Volunteering 24 hours for training is no small commitment. We know that there are many other things you can do with your time, and you have our sincere appreciation.

Here are some guidelines and frequently asked questions about the basic training course and beyond.

  • Qualifications and Requirements
    • You must be a San Francisco resident, or work in a physical location in San Francisco, to be eligible to take NERT. Exceptions can be made for commuter students enrolled in a San Francisco College or University.
    • You must provide your legal name on paperwork. SF Residents must provide a home address. You have the option to provide a work address so that we can identify the NERT near the area where you spend most time. Attendees residing outside of SF must provide both home and work addresses.
    • All participants must fill out all paperwork included in the course. This includes:
      • Enrollment Sheet (class 1)
      • Agreement of Understanding (class 1)
      • Code of Conduct (Class 1)
      • Disaster Service Worker VP (DSW) (class 5 or upon request)
  • No new students may join after the first two classes in a series have ended.
  • Member registration for the NERT Member Cloud App requires an email address for each member.
  • Attendance
    • It is very important for participants to attend all classes in a series to gain the full scope and benefit of the training. This includes not arriving late or leaving early.
  • Make-Up sessions
    • Contact the NERT training office to arrange a makeup. Include your full name, the date and location where you are enrolled, and the session which you would like to attend. You can find the schedule of locations on the NERT website, under the NERT Calendar: Meetings, Trainings & Events.1
    • Students have 6 months to complete all classes.

0.4 COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS

NERT is a critical community disaster response and preparedness program- that aims to engage San Franciscans to prepare our neighborhoods to be safer, more prepared, and more resilient when incidents occur.

Community-based preparedness planning allows us all to prepare for and respond to anticipated disruptions and potential hazards following a disaster. As individuals, we can prepare our homes and families to cope during that critical period. By planning, neighborhoods and worksites can also work together to help reduce injuries, loss of life, and property damage. Neighborhood preparedness will enhance the ability of individuals and neighborhoods to reduce their emergency needs and to manage their existing resources until professional assistance becomes available.

Effective response requires comprehensive planning and coordination of all involved entities: government, volunteer groups, private businesses, schools, and community organizations. With training and information, individuals and community groups can be prepared to serve as a crucial resource capable of performing many of the emergency functions needed in the immediate post-disaster period. The NERT Program is designed to train individuals to be assets to help communities prepare for effective disaster response.

0.5 WHEN DISASTER STRIKES

Damage caused by natural disasters, such as earthquakes, storms, and flooding, or from man-made technological events such as explosions or hazardous materials accidents can affect all aspects of a city, from government services to private enterprise to civic activities.

These events:

  • Severely restrict or overwhelm our response resources, communications, transportation, and utilities.
  • Leave many individuals and neighborhoods cut off from outside support.

Damaged roads and disrupted communications systems can restrict access by emergency response agencies into critically affected areas. Thus, for the initial period immediately following a disaster (often up to 3 days or longer), individuals, households, and neighborhoods may need to rely on their own resources for food, water, first aid and shelter.

Individual preparedness and offering mutual aid within neighborhoods during the

critical early period following a disaster are essential measures to helping people cope

with its catastrophic aftermath. How you prepare today can have a big impact on your

own survival and your ability to help others safely and effectively. By learning about

potential hazards in your community, as well as understanding how San Francisco

responds using its plans and protocols, you will be prepared to help yourself and

others. By understanding hazard-specific protective actions that you can take in your

home and neighborhood, such as gathering emergency supplies and mitigating

hazards in your home, you will be more resilient to any disruptive event.

0.6 ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (NERT)

The Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989, and its aftermath demonstrated how important civilian volunteers are during a disaster. At the Marina fire, volunteers assisted the Department in labor-intensive operations such as leading hose lines by hand over great distances to supply water from the Bay to the fire site.

In a larger scale disaster, volunteers may be even more widespread and more necessary. With this in mind, the San Francisco Fire Department has undertaken a program of civilian emergency response training. The intention of this training is to give volunteers a higher level of basic skills in firefighting, search and rescue, disaster medicine, and preparedness.

If available, emergency services personnel are the best trained and equipped to handle emergencies. Following a catastrophic disaster, however, you and the community may be on your own for a period of time because of the size of the area affected, lost communications, and unpassable roads.

NERT Basic Training is designed to prepare you to help yourself and to help others in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Because emergency services personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you can make a difference by using your NERT training to save lives of those around you and protect property.

This training covers basic skills that are important to know in a disaster when emergency services are not available. With training and practice, and by working as a team, you will be able to protect yourself and do the greatest good for the greatest number after a disaster.

  • NERT trained volunteers will: Be better prepared to be self-sufficient following a disaster.
  • Be able to provide emergency assistance to their family and immediate neighbors.
  • Work as a team in their neighborhood in the event of a major disaster.

0.7 HOW NERTS OPERATE

As each NERT is organized and trained in accordance with standard operating procedures developed by the sponsoring agency, its members select an Incident Commander/Team Leader (IC/TL) and an alternate and identify a meeting location, or staging area, to be used in the event of a disaster.

The staging area is where the fire department and other services will interact with NERTs. Having a centralized contact point makes it possible to communicate damage assessments and allocate volunteer resources more effectively. This is true for all NERTs, whether active in a neighborhood, workplace, school, college/university campus, or other venue.

Damage from disasters may vary considerably from one location to another. In an actual disaster, NERTs are deployed progressively and as needs dictate. Members are taught to assess their own needs and the needs of those in their immediate environment first.

NERT members who encounter no need in their immediate area then report to their staging area, where they take on assigned roles based on overall area needs. Members who find themselves in a heavily affected location send runners to staging areas to get help from available resources. Amateur radio and other radio links also may be used to increase communication capabilities and coordination.

The NERT Program can provide an effective first-response capability. Acting as individuals first, then later as members of teams, trained NERT volunteers can fan out within their assigned areas, extinguishing small fires, turning off natural gas at damaged homes, performing light search and rescue, and rendering basic medical treatment. NERTs also act as effective “eyes and ears” for uniformed emergency responders. Trained volunteers also offer an important potential workforce to service organizations in non-hazardous functions such as shelter support, crowd control, and evacuation.

0.8 COURSE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the Neighborhood Emergency Response Team (NERT) Basic Training is to provide the individuals who complete this course with the basic skills that they will need to respond to their community’s immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services are not immediately available. By working together, NERT members can assist in saving lives and protecting property using the basic techniques in this course. The target audience for this course is individuals who desire the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and respond to a disaster.

0.8.1 Overall Course Objectives

Upon completing this course, the participants should be able to:

  • Describe the types of hazards that are most likely to affect their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
  • Take steps to prepare themselves and their families for a disaster.
  • Describe the functions of NERTs and their role in immediate response.
  • Identify and reduce (mitigate) potential hazards in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
  • Work as a team to apply basic fire suppression strategies, resources, and safety measures to extinguish a fire.
  • Apply techniques for opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock.
  • Conduct triage under simulated disaster conditions.
  • Perform head-to-toe assessments on patients.
  • Select and set up a treatment area.
  • Employ basic treatments for various injuries and apply splints to suspected fractures and sprains.
  • Identify planning and size-up requirements for any potential response situations including providing medical assistance, search and rescue and basic fire suppression.
  • Describe the most common techniques for searching a structure.
  • Work as a team to apply safe techniques for debris removal and survivor extrication.
  • Describe ways to protect rescuers during search and rescue operations.
  • Describe the post-disaster emotional environment and the steps that rescuers can take to relieve their own stressors and those of disaster survivors.
  • Describe the NERT organization at the staging area command post and the documentation requirements.

In addition to the overall course objectives listed above, each unit has specific objectives.

0.9 COURSE AGENDA

Class Topics
1 Disaster Preparedness Introductions and Course Overview Protection for Disaster Workers Community Preparedness: Roles and Responsibilities Hazards and Their Potential Impact Impact on the Infrastructure Home and Workplace Preparedness Personal Planning Supplies and kits Reducing the Impact of Hazards Through Mitigation NERT in Disaster NERT roles in non-disaster Unit Summary
2 Fire Safety & Utility Controls Introduction and Chapter Overview Rescuer Safety Utilities Fire Chemistry NERT Size up Fire Size up Considerations Fire behavior Firefighting Resources Unit Summary
Class Topics
— —
3 Disaster Medical Operations — Part 1 & 2 Introduction and Chapter Overview Approaching the Survivor Opening the Airway Treating Life-Threatening Conditions Triage Functions of Disaster Medical Operations Establishing Medical Treatment Areas Conducting Head-to-Toe Assessments Treating Fractures, Dislocations, Sprains, and Strains Treating Burns Wound Care Nasal Bleeding Bites and Stings Treating Cold-Related Injuries Treating Heat-Related Injuries Triage activity Unit Summary
4 Light Search and Rescue Operations Introduction and Chapter Overview Light search and rescue Heavy rescue resources Safety and Size-Up During Search and Rescue Operations Building types & hazards Structural damage assessment Forcible Entry Conducting Interior and Exterior Search Operations Search markings Lifting heavy objects Conducting Rescue Operations Survivor carries Search & rescue activity Unit Summary
Class Topics
— —
5 NERT Organization and Disaster Psychology Introduction and Chapter Overview Response Overview Federal Local SFFD NERT Organization – ICS roles and Documentation NERT Communications NERT Mobilization Activity: ICS Tabletop Staging area command post operations Incident prioritization Disaster Trauma Working with Survivors’ Trauma Personal considerations Team Well-Being Stress management tools NERT Volunteer Neighborhood involvement ALERT (SFPD) Unit Summary
6 Course Review, Final Exam, SF Resources and Disaster Simulation Course Summary San Francisco Resources Additional Training for NERTs Emergency and non-emergency roles for NERTs Final Exam Hands-on skills activity Graduation

0.10 AFTER NERT BASIC TRAINING

Upon completion of the NERT Basic Training course, you will receive a certificate and an ID card from the SFFD to identify you as an emergency response team member during a disaster response. This is an official government ID for participation and response and should be treated as such. However, it should not be used to request favor or access, nor does it replace a State ID/Driver’s license as an official means of identification. If this ID is lost or stolen, a police report should be filed.

You should maintain your SFFD issued NERT safety equipment and have these items available for use during a disaster. Additionally, you should create a response backpack (NERT go-bag) with additional items that you will need such as goggles, some snack bars, first aid supplies, and a flashlight.

Training in disaster response should not be a one-time event. Awareness, commitment, and skills must be reinforced through follow-up training and repeated practice to maintain the edge necessary for effective response in the face of a disaster. To maintain your skill level and continually improve performance, you and your team members should participate in continuing supplemental training when offered. Working through practice disaster scenarios with other volunteers will provide opportunities not only for extended practice but also for valuable networking with NERTs in the local area.

  1. NERT Calendar: Meetings, Trainings & Events https://sf-fire.org/nert/nert-calendar-meetings-trainings-events↩︎