Mobilization and decision-making require documentation. You can play a role in incident documentation and maintain an efficient flow of information for your team. Documentation has many uses. It's a good way to account for team members and deploy them where they will do the most good. Once on the scene, they can document damages and track injuries.

Writing down the details of the situation can also help you develop an understanding of the overall situation. This can be especially helpful when professional responders arrive on the scene. Be prepared to provide them with your assembled documentation as soon as they arrive.

Standard forms are available for many types of CERT documentation. You will learn more about documentation and using the forms in the CERT classroom training.