LCCERT-HTL educates citizens to be prepared to take care of themselves, family, friends, and neighbors in the event of a disaster of any type until trained emergency responders can arrive. CERT volunteers respond to emergencies when activated using basic disaster response skills such as medical operations, fire safety, and light search and rescue. Volunteers also perform activities such as distributing information to the public, supporting emergency operations centers and professional responders, and helping to manage traffic and crowds.