Los Angeles will need help of its CERT heroes when Big One hits

If one were to compare the process of tension building in Earth's tectonic plates to the process of a baby growing in the womb, some experts would say the San Andreas Fault is 10 months pregnant.

In other words, the fault is ominously overdue for another major shakeout like the Northridge earthquake 30 years ago, Yuri Fialko, professor of geophysics at UC San Diego said when explaining his recent study

When that thunderous baby — often referred to as the Big One — finally arrives, Los Angeles will need the help of Community Emergency Response Team members.

CERT members are civilian volunteers, everyday people trained in emergency response who can assist first responders in the event of a major disaster.

The program was launched in 1986 by the late Los Angeles Assistant Fire Chief Frank Borden, who was inspired after witnessing the key role civilians played in saving lives following Mexico City's 8.0 quake in 1985 that killed more than 5,000.

The CERT program teaches civilians emergency first aid, fire safety, basic search and rescue, and how to prepare supplies for a quake, stay safe during the quake, turn off gas mains, and turn off power supplies.

In the aftermath of Northridge, this knowledge proved vital.

“During the '94 earthquake, there were interviews on the news with fire captains saying, `If you're CERT trained, please go to your local fire station; we could use your help,' ” CERT instructor and LAFD firefighter Randy Opperman said. “Volunteers helped shut off utilities, put out fires and transport people to the hospital.”

The success of the CERT program drew