NERT Training Curriculum & Course Content
The goal of the NERT program is to help the residents of San Francisco to be self sufficient in a major disaster situation by developing multifunctional teams, cross trained in basic emergency skills. Through this program, individuals will learn hands-on disaster skills that will help them as members of an emergency response team, preparing them to respond to a personal emergency or as an adjunct to the SFFD response.
The 24 hour training consists of six class sessions that are approximately 4 hours each. The NERT Training is free to the public. The San Francisco Fire Department has the following NERT trainings scheduled. All NERT Trainings are currently held at the SFFD Division of Training at 19th Street and Folsom Street in the Mission. Enrollment is limited.
Class offerings and enrollment are limited due to COVID-19 and staff availability.
NERT's Curriculum:
The goal of this program is to help the residents of San Francisco be self sufficient in a major disaster situation by developing multi-functional teams, cross-trained in basic emergency skills. Through this program, individuals will learn hands-on disaster skills that will help them as members of an emergency response team and/or as a leader directing untrained volunteers during an emergency, allowing them to act independently or as an adjunct to City emergency services. There is no cost for the neighborhood training, and the class sessions are approximately 4 hours.
SFFD will provide you with a printed NERT Student Participant Manual in Class 1.
Course Curriculum Outline is as follows:
| Class Session #1 | Earthquake Awareness, Preparedness, and Hazard Mitigation Earthquake type, magnitude, history and probability How to prepare before it happens What to do when the earth starts to shake Forms used in this class: Agreement of Understanding (AoU) Student Code of Conduct (CoC) Agreement
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| Class Session #2 | Basic Disaster Skills Natural gas, water and electrical controls, why, when and how to shut them off Types of fire, and using extinguishers to put it out Hazardous Materials awareness in the home, on the road, and all around you Terrorism Awareness
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| Class Session #3 | Disaster Medicine Health considerations for the rescuer Opening airways Stopping bleeding and shock position S.T.A.R.T. triage Minor injuries and burns
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| Class Session #4 | Light Search and Rescue Different types of construction and where to look for damage How to classify damaged buildings Building marking system Interior search patterns Lifting heavy objects and mechanical advantage Victim carries
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| Class Session #5 | Team Organization and Management City Disaster Plan and where the NERTs fit NERT Incident Command System, managing the disaster Disaster Psychology
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| Class Session #6 | Skills Development and Application Final Exam Review Hands-On-Training Extinguishing fires Triaging and treating moulage victims Extricating a victim trapped by heavy timbers Interior search for reported missing persons Exterior building damage assessment Award of Achievement and course evaluation Forms used in this class: |