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The Teen SERT program is a version of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The goal of the program is to develop and train a group of serious safety-minded students in basic skills related to health and safety. The students are not expected to replace the training and skills of professional first-responders. Instead, SERT members are expected to administer basic first-aid, evaluate injuries, and collect important information that can be relayed to safety workers en-route. The information provided to the emergency response crews in advance can be life-saving as can the basic level of treatment provided by the SERT team.
The Teen-SERT program was developed by Haley Rich in Pueblo Colorado. The pilot school, Pueblo West High School (November 2003) now requires the program in its six health classes of 180 students each year. Teen-SERT is a program that is growing rapidly across the country.
The actual meaning of SERT shows an important difference from the community version. SERT stands for Student Emergency Response Training, as opposed to Team. This emphasizes some of the unique aspects of a student-based unit; unlike CERT, the student group does not self-deploy. It also places emphasis on the education aspect of the program. CERT units serve the community at large in emergency situations, such as floods, tornadoes and hurricanes. SERT teams serve the school grounds and their primary responsibility is to serve their fellow students, faculty and staff. SERT units are under the guidance of a SERT program director/facilitator, who should receive training as well. Remember, the function of this group is only to provide immediate first-aid and assessment information to professional medical professionals. (author)
