Disaster Assistance Teams are one component of the LBNL Emergency Response Organization, an organization that provides emergency response in the event of a large-scale disaster that impacts the Lab. The four teams that make up the Disaster Assistance Teams are the Building Emergency Team (BET), Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Damage Assessment Team (DAT)and Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT).
All Disaster Assistance Team members are comprised of lab employees who have volunteered their time to learn disaster response skills. During a disaster, volunteers are prepared to respond to provide life saving care to their fellow employees.
Building Emergency Team (BET)
The LBL Building Emergency Team (BET) program is designed to assist building occupants in the event that an emergency results in the need to evacuate the building such as an earthquake or fire. BETs are assigned in each occupied facility and ensure that protective actions/measures are implemented, conduct personnel accountability, and provide crowd control at Emergency Assembly Areas. Emergency radios allow BETs provide an essential emergency communication pathway between LBL employees and Emergency Management personnel in the event that a large scale renders other communication devices inoperable.If you would like more information on the BET program contact emergencymanagement@lbl.gov.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Have you ever asked yourself the question, “What would I do in the event of a disaster?” If your family, friends, and co-workers needed help, would you know what to do?
In an instant, a disaster has the potential to devastate a community and leave professional emergency responders overwhelmed with survivors in need of help. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that community members prepare to sustain themselves for a minimum of 72 hours after a disaster until professional relief can reach them. The purpose of the CERT program is to provide LBNL employees with disaster response skills, strengthened by team purpose and unity.
At Berkeley Lab, we strive for uncompromising safety and although we cannot prevent natural disasters from occurring, we can prepare ourselves to respond to them. LBNL CERT members receive training in a wide variety of disaster preparedness skills such as basic fire suppression, medical assessment, patient transport, crowd control and light search and rescue. In the event that a disaster such as an earthquake, wildfire or landslide occurs at the Lab, LBNL CERT members can be deployed to provide disaster relief to the Lab community until professional first responders arrive.
The LBNL CERT is seeking volunteers who are eager to learn about emergency preparedness and response, as well as contribute to a team dedicated to enhancing safety and large scale disaster response here at the Lab.
If you would like more information on joining the CERT Team, contact emergencymanagement@lbl.gov.
