Johnson went door-to-door to his neighbors with materials explaining plans. Their area — 209 houses within boundaries of the LDS Church's Colony Ward, roughly at 4800 West and 4400 South — would be divided into many small areas with "street leaders" and "assistant street leaders."

In an emergency, the street leaders would quickly go door to door to check on the condition of 12 to 20 homes each and see what residents needed. They would then report to an emergency coordinator (Johnson) or his assistants. They would coordinate help and work with other nearby CERT teams, the city and the LDS Church either to bring in or offer help.

While the organization mirrors the boundaries of the LDS Colony Ward, it is not a church organization. All area residents, not just those who are LDS, are invited to participate. Many of its leaders and helpers are not LDS. But local leaders of the LDS Church do strongly endorse CERT efforts and urge its members to help.

In his door-to-door visits, Johnson identified willing and qualified helpers, including 20 other people who had taken CERT classes. He formed search and rescue and medical assistance teams. He also developed written plans for a variety of emergencies, which the neighborhood sometimes practiced (such as during power outages).

Knowing what to do

Now that a big earthquake has hit, Johnson's efforts show how CERT works. CERT leaders in Johnson's area quickly pick up and follow written plans they had worked out in advance for this and other types of emergencies.

"The first thing I do is check on my own family and make sure we are OK," Johnson said back in 2006 as he explained plans. He is a retiree and was home when the earthquake hit during the workday on Friday, Feb. 1, 2008.

"My next step is to get hold of the other assistant emergency coordinators — there are four — and make sure they are OK," Johnson says. He and other leaders have lists of addresses and phone numbers for the entire area and also know where all residents work or go to school and any medical or other special needs they have identified.

"We contact street leaders and assistants and ask them to check on families on their streets. They report back to us, and we collect information for the total neighborhood," Johnson says.

His search and rescue and medical teams are sent where needed most. If they require some special resources, such as an emergency generator or chain saws, Johnson and other leaders have lists of residents who volunteered that they have them and are willing to share in an emergency.

Those with CERT training recognize whether structures are too damaged to safely enter for search and rescue. "A lot of deaths after disasters occur when people rush into buildings that are not safe, and rescuers are killed by collapses," especially during aftershocks, Johnson said.