The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an emergency preparedness program supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA ). Following a series of earthquakes in the U.S. and Mexico that left hundreds dead, injured and without emergency services, the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) recognized that well-trained civilian emergency work force teams are vital for disaster situations when the scope of incidents overwhelm conventional emergency services. Using the model created by LAFD in 1985, FEMA began promoting nationwide implementation of the CERT concept in 1994. Since then, CERT’s have been established in hundreds of communities in the U.S.

Central County Fire and Rescue and the City of St. Peters Police Department have partnered together to prepare the community we serve by providing CERT training . In addition this training promotes a partnering effort between our emergency services personnel and our citizens.

What is a CERT?

A "CERT" is a group of people that is organized under the leadership of a local jurisdiction and receives special training that enhances their ability to recognize, respond to, and recover from a major emergency or disaster situation. If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the emergency services personnel, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster until help arrives. CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies. Click here for more information on CERT.

Who can volunteer? Participants must be 17 years or older to attend this training. This course requires approximately 20 hours of training . Classes will be held on Tuesday evenings 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Click here for more details on CERT Training.