Walnut Creek’s Community Emergency Response Team, known as CERT, is recruiting new members. Basic training classes will be held beginning January 31, and registration closes on January 15.
CERT is a nationwide program that educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards in their area, and trains them in light disaster response to assist first responders. This can reduce the number of victims during disaster situations and allows professional responders to focus on more complex tasks. CERT trains volunteers of all abilities in basic disaster response skills, such as:
- Fire safety
- Team organization and incident management
- Personal preparedness
- Light search and rescue
- Medical triage, treatment of life-threatening conditions and basic first aid
- Emergency communications
The Basic Training will include four mandatory meeting dates for a total of approximately 24 hours training:
- Wednesday, January 31 on Zoom, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Friday, February 16 on Zoom, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
- Saturday, February 17 in person, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, February 24 in person, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
As attendance at all classes is required to become a member of CERT, only those with availability on those dates should apply.
Prior to the first course on January 31, applicants will need to successfully complete a FEMA course online; it’s a simple, one-to-two-hour course with an open book exam at the end. A copy of the completion certificate will be required prior to the first training class. The course, FEMA IS-317.A, is a basic introduction to CERT. It can be found online here on the FEMA website.
(https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-317.a&lang=en)
CERT is volunteer led and taught, with a $35 fee due on the first day of in person training. Graduates will receive a CERT backpack, helmet, vest, and personal protective equipment at no additional cost.
If you are interested, please reach out to Volunteer Program Manager Margaret Campos at [email protected] no later than January 15, 2024.
More details can be found about CERT on the program website.
Contact: Margaret Campos, Volunteer Program Manager, [email protected]
