It should be noted that during and immediately after a hurricane, emergency responders will be sheltered in place protecting themselves and their families. GP-CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks.
Mission Statement
Through GP-CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters is built and enhanced at the community level. The GP-CERT training and preparation will allow community members to respond and assist each other by providing damage assessment, search and rescue, first aid, and communication in those hours between the incident and the return of services from responsible first responders and our property management company.
Vision Statement
To develop a continuous and sustainable emergency response protocol within the Gran Paradiso community, and eventually within the surrounding West Villages communities, that will allow neighbors to assist each other in time of need until first responders can get around to our communities. GP-CERT will follow the guidelines of FEMA-based training, and would work closely with the other CERTs within the West Villages area to share information and resources. First responders are often overwhelmed in the aftermath of a disaster and our efforts will hopefully allow public resources to be devoted to those communities most in need.
The Gran Paradiso – Community Emergency Response Team (GP-CERT) program educates community volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their community immediately before and after a hurricane or other disaster situation, and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.