The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is a nationally developed, locally implemented initiative that teaches people how to better prepare themselves for emergencies such as major earthquakes, storms, or fires. Using training learned in the classroom and through hands-on exercises, CERT volunteers are prepared to protect their family first, and then others in the community.
CERT trains community members in basic disaster response skills such as team organization, disaster medical operations, fire safety, and light search and rescue. CERT members also assist in searches for lost persons. The ability for CERT volunteers to perform these activities frees up professional responders to focus their efforts on more complex, essential, and critical tasks. Volunteers are also trained how to help in disaster situations where professional responders are unavailable or delayed.
In Monterey, volunteers, with the support of the City of Monterey, have established an excellent CERT program with training sessions for new volunteers offered twice a year. Information about upcoming training opportunities can be found on the city’s website, in the newsletters below, or by writing to training@monterey.org.
