Tuolumne County CERT is housed under the county’s Office of Emergency Services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on
during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, using the model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, began promoting nationwide use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994.  Since then, CERTs have been established in hundreds of communities.

CERT BENEFITS

Emergencies occur in our communities, neighborhoods, and workplaces every day. We also know that a large-scale disaster (such as an earthquake or wildfires) will quickly overwhelm local professional responders.

CERT training (free to each participant) will provide you with the practical skills necessary to: 

• Safely assist family, neighbors, and associates while waiting for professional responders to arrive
• Become better prepared for disaster
• Support professional responders, as directed, once they arrive at the scene

Volunteer Tasks:

CERT-trained citizens may enjoy many opportunities to volunteer in their communities. CERT members often help with neighborhood fire prevention or emergency preparedness efforts and may provide services at special community events, such as parades, sporting events, concerts and more. Tuolumne County OES will use CERT volunteers during disasters to help answer the public information line, assist with shelters during a n emergency or staffing cooling or warming centers during extreme temperatures.