1. STAGE THE BAG: Store the carry bag on the team cache shelf or in the response vehicle where the team leader can reach it at callout. Tell every team member where it sits.

2. INVENTORY ON ARRIVAL: Open the carry bag and match each item to the contents list: 4 rolls of triage tape, 12 ground stakes, 4 legend safety vests, the triage book, 25 triage tags, 8 ID tags, 4 clipboards, 4 pencils and 4 grease pencils.

3. READ THE TRIAGE BOOK: Read the 37-page triage book before the first deployment, including its tips on setting up a triage unit. Walk the team through the Triage Treatment Log, Head-to-Toe Patient Evaluation, Injury Assessment and Body Identification Sheet forms.

4. MARK OUT THE AREA: The team leader picks open, safe ground for the triage area. Run the colored triage tape to divide the ground by category, and secure the tape with the ground stakes, following the book's setup tips and your CERT training.

5. ASSIGN AND MARK ROLES: Put a name tag in the clear front legend of each legend safety vest and an assignment in its back area. Hand a vest, a clipboard and a pencil to each team member who holds a role.

6. TAG AND RECORD: Fill in a triage tag or ID tag for each person who moves through the area, as your CERT training and the incident's protocol direct. Log each person on the Triage Treatment Log and the other forms from the book.

7. REPORT AND HAND OFF: Give the completed logs and forms to incident command, EMS or the receiving agency as your protocol directs. Note how many tags and ID tags were used so the restock list is accurate.

8. RESTOCK AND REPACK: Pull the ground stakes, roll up any tape that can be reused, and repack the vests, clipboards and pencils. Replace used triage tags and ID tags, and check any dates printed on the packaging before the bag returns to the cache.