Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community.

About the Training and Service

The basic CERT traing program is a 20-hour course. Training sessions include:

CERT Training: Preparing for Emergency Response Using the basic CERT curriculum, CERT personnel train to prepare for a disaster or overwhelming event by:

Identifying and mitigating potential hazards in the home and workplace.
Initiating plans to prepare themselves and their loved ones for the hazards that they face.
Learning skills to help themselves, and others until professional response resources arrive.
Participating in continuing education and training.
Volunteering for projects to enhance the public safety of their communities.
Understanding their capabilities and limitations when deployed.

During Training you will learn!

Prepare for the hazards that threaten their communities.
Apply size-up and safety principles.
Locate and turn off utilities.
Extinguish small fires.
Identify hazardous materials situations.
Triage and treat victims.
Set up a medical treatment area.
Conduct searches and rescues in lightly and moderately damaged structures.
Understand the psychological impact of a disaster on themselves and others.
Organize CERT members and spontaneous volunteers for an effective and safe response.
Apply response skills in a disaster simulation.

CERT Role During Emergencies When a disaster or overwhelming event occurs and responders are not immediately available, CERTs can assist by:

Conducting an initial size-up in their homes or workplaces.
Reducing immediate dangers by turning off utilities, suppressing small fires, evacuating the area, and helping others.
Treating people in the immediate area.
Working with CERT members and volunteers to establish a command post, staging area, and medical triage and treatment areas.
Collecting damage information and developing a plan of operation based on life-saving priorities and available resources.
Applying their training to situations where CERT members can make a difference.
Establishing and maintaining communication with responders.

Fequently Asked Questions (Click Here) Special Note: We welcome those who like the training, but not participate in a team or volunteer. We encourage you to sign up for training.