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.
The CERT course is taught in the community by a trained team of first responders and community members who have completed a CERT train-the-trainer course conducted by their state training office for emergency management, or Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Emergency Management Institute (EMI), located in Emmitsburg, MD. CERT training includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operations and terrorism awareness.
Over the next two years, the CERT program aims to double the number of participants, with more than 400,000 individuals completing the 20-plus hours of training. Train-the-trainer sessions will be held in all 56 states and territories over the next year to expand the program throughout the United States.