What should CERT members do first if they are in a disaster-affected area?

Turning off utilities, when safe to do so, is a critical step for CERT members in a disaster-affected area because it helps prevent additional hazards such as fires, explosions, or contaminated water supply. Utilities can become compromised during a disaster, increasing the risk of further injury or damage. By ensuring that utilities are shut off, CERT members can create a safer environment to conduct rescue and recovery operations.

While conducting searches for survivors is crucial, it should only occur once the area is deemed safe from additional threats to the responders and survivors. Calling for additional emergency personnel is also important, but this step typically comes after ensuring that the immediate risks are managed. Large-scale evacuations are necessary in many situations but generally occur as part of a coordinated response dictated by the overall assessment of the disaster—something that might happen later in the response effort.