Get Involved

Volunteer in Emergencies

As part of the Stanford community, you can take an active role in helping others by learning skills needed in emergencies:

  1. Stanford Student Community Emergency Response Team (SCERT)
  2. Stanford Student Emergency Medical Service (StEMS)
  3. Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) for staff
  4. Building Assessment Teams (BATS) for staff
  5. Emergency Preparedness Training for Faculty and Staff

Stanford Student Community Emergency Response Team (SCERT) 

Stanford students can become a member of the Stanford Community Emergency Response Team (SCERT) by taking the 1 unit EMED-101 course offered through the School of Medicine. EMED-101 is taught Autumn and Spring quarters. Students receive certification to deploy with a CERT team at Stanford and in local jurisdictions.

The CERT curriculum is based on the standard CERT program developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  It includes basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and communication and disaster medical operations.  

Community Emergency Response Team training prepares an individual to provide a higher level of assistance after an emergency event. The skills learned in this course are transferable to other aspects of life and are valuable well beyond your years here at Stanford. CERT trained individuals will form teams after a major emergency, such as an earthquake, and assist with University response functions.

Stanford Student Emergency Medical Service (StEMS)

The Stanford Emergency Medical Service (StEMS) is a student group of certified EMT-Basics that provides standby medical service at campus events, such as football and other sporting events, social events and campus wide celebrations.

StEMS operates under the oversight of the Stanford University Department of Public Safety and medical direction from Stanford’s Department of Emergency Medicine.

StEMS teams consist of at least two EMT-1 positions and are stationed at the event to provide medical assessment and treatment when needed. StEMS teams can provide non-transport BLS (basic life support) and, if necessary, can work with an ALS (advanced life support) team to provide care.  Each team carries oxygen, an AED and trauma equipment.

All team members are at least EMT-1 (EMT-Basic) certified and affiliated with Santa Clara County EMS. Members are required to have a current EMT-certificate as well as a professional rescuer CPR certification by either the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. 

CPR and AED Instruction for Students

Students can register for EMED-110:Basic Cardiac Life Support: CPR for the Layperson Responder, offered through the School of Medicine, Human Performance Program, Wilderness Medicine track.  This course offers American CPR certification and covers signs and symptoms of heart attack, stroke, choking, skills associated with administering CPR, and basic AED application. Be prepared for 3.75 hours of instruction and adult/infant practicals, plus a practicum skills test .

Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) for Staff

The Stanford Community Emergency Response Team consists of staff who have previously trained to respond to disasters. CERT training is based on the nationwide CERT program developed by the Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA). It includes basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

Currently, Stanford is not actively training new University CERT members, with the exception of University Information Technology (UIT), which has an active CERT Team that participates in an annual drill and trains with the City of Palo Alto.  All University staff are encouraged to take CERT training offered in surrounding communities until a local Stanford course is again available. 

Building Assessment Teams (BAT) for Staff

Building Assessment Team (BAT) members are volunteers trained to identify specific signs of damage that may indicate that a building’s structure has been compromised by shaking during an earthquake. After a major earthquake, trained team members partner up to perform a visual inspection of building exteriors, looking for any of eight specific indicators of damage. 

The BAT training uses materials from the Applied Technology Council (ATC) 20-1 Field Manual: Postearthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings. The training class for new BAT members (EHS-1650) is held each April. Refresher training for existing BAT members (EHS-1651) is held in April of odd numbered years (e.g. 2015 and 2017).

New team members receive a BAT pack containing the forms and equipment necessary to conduct their assessments.

Teams are made up entirely of volunteers, who can be any interested University employee. Check with your supervisor prior to attending training or volunteering to part of the BAT team. If you volunteer to be a BAT member, you are asked to commit to returning to campus as soon as possible in the event of an earthquake (after your family is taken care of). The University has over 800 buildings and is always in need of volunteers.

 

Emergency Preparedness and Response Training

 

FOR FACULTY AND STAFF

Emergency Preparedness Training for Faculty and Staff

  1. General Safety, Injury Prevention (IIPP) and Emergency Preparedness – EHS-4200 training is required for all new faculty and staff.  The class web-based class is offered through STARS, 
  2. Personal Emergency Preparedness – EHS 5090 to learn resources for improving your disaster preparedness and emergency skills.
  3. Emergency Preparedness for Your Home – EHS 3201 to learn about resources for improving your disaster preparedness and emergency skills.
  4. Automated External Defibrillator (AED, CPR and First Aid) – EHS-1300.  This is a 4-hour course given quarterly to train in the use of the AED, CPR and basic first aid, and meets the standards required by California for AED use. Contact EHS for assistance in registering for CPR/AED courses at 650-723-0448.