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DHS and FEMA
Preparedness Newsletter

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This Digest is provided by FEMA's Individual & Community Preparedness Division to highlight community preparedness and resilience resources, an important part of FEMA's mission to help people before, during, and after disasters. We're building a culture of preparedness together.

Review CERT Roles for Qualifications by November 26

Individual and Community Preparedness Newsletter

Be heard…Email comments or suggestions to us at FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov

CERT & Comminities



Review Qualifications for CERT Roles by Nov. 26

Calling everyone in the CERT community! You have an opportunity to provide feedback on CERT position descriptions. To ensure both volunteers and incident management staff are on the same page when called upon to support a disaster, FEMA has developed specific definitions and qualifications for three key positions: CERT Volunteer, CERT Section Chief, and CERT Team Leader.

These new documents align with the FEMA National Qualification System (NQS). NQS is a collection of documents that describe the minimum criteria for responder qualifications. It was developed to create consistency for responders when working on incidents, including outside their home area. Included in the NQS are documents that describe the position qualifications and task books that explain position-specific activities. These task books will be used to document performance for each task that is part of the job. NQS is one of four key activities of the Resource Management component in the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is not mandatory for CERT groups to participate in NQS, but it is encouraged for them to be consistent with NIMS.

Before the updated CERT descriptions can be finalized, they are posted by FEMA for a National Engagement Period. The National Engagement Period started on October 27, 2020 and will close at 5 p.m. ET on November 26, 2020. This time period provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the new draft language. The documents, comment forms, and information on how to submit your input can be found on the FEMA webpage for the CERT NQS.

One benefit of incorporating CERT positions into the NQS is that it will also add them to the new OneResponder tool. OneResponder is a free, web-based system that uses a uniform terminology and approach to certify emergency personnel. Task books can be accessed on OneResponder using your smartphone, tablet, and online. To learn more about OneResponder, please visit www.oneresponder.net.

The CERT program informs volunteers on the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization. Professional first responders can rely on CERT volunteers during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

FEMA wants to ensure it considers the feedback and recommendations of the personnel it supports with these new Position Qualifications and Position Task Books. Don’t miss your chance to lend your voice to this exciting opportunity!

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Important Dates


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Disclaimer: The reader recognizes that the federal government provides links and informational data on various disaster preparedness resources and events and does not endorse any non-federal events, entities, organizations, services, or products. Please let us know about other events and services for individual and community preparedness that could be included in future newsletters by contacting - FEMA-prepare@fema.dhs.gov - TWITTER: @Readygov

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About FEMA

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

Follow FEMA online at www.fema.gov/blog, www.twitter.com/fema, www.facebook.com/fema, and www.youtube.com/fema.

Social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies or applications.

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