A Correctional Emergency Response Team (CERT), Special Emergency Response Team for Correction (SERT), or Special Operation Response Team (SORT) is a team of highly trained corrections officers in the United States tasked with responding to incidents, riots, cell extractions, mass searches, or disturbances in prisons, possibly involving uncooperative or violent inmates. CERT team members are required to be contactable and available to respond at all times. CERT is founded upon a team concept and is made up of highly motivated and experienced Correction Officers.
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Possible duties of a CERT team include transport of high risk inmates, extracting uncooperative prisoners from their cells, searches and high profile security, barricaded persons, Riots, mass arrest, high risk/high profile transport and hostages situations. While, in the United States various details regarding CERT organization and training requirements differ from state to state, a standard CERT team organization is similar to that employed by the Monroe County Police Department, as shown below:
CERT team members are outfitted with extensive gear, including body armor, helmet, tactical gloves, Batons, Handcuffs, riot shield and firearms.
While requirements also differ from state to state, the Monroe County Police Department lists the following physical requirements for CERT team members: