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Next event: Emergency Communications Training at Sonoma County Public Infrastructure HQ, March 1, 2025. (See more events)

Training Opportunities are Available! Calendar of Events

Our Mission

To do the most good for the greatest number of people by training volunteers in lifesaving and life sustaining skills, hosting events to educate the public, and providing emergency equipment during disasters.

Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for services. Factors such as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment’s notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help to meet immediate lifesaving and life sustaining needs.

The true first responders in any emergency are the everyday people living and working in your community.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) provides training in how to prepare for and respond to disasters, so that residents can help each other and assist professional responders during disasters. The CERT program is a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) certification program that offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations. Northern Sonoma County CERT provides CERT training and certification to volunteers in Sonoma County.

By engaging the community, governments, and the private sector, we can build stronger partnerships that deliver better outcomes for all. The future of our communities depends on our ability to work together. The CERT program is a shining example of what can happen when communities come together. Working together, we are making our community safer and more resilient.

Get CERT trained so you’re ready when your family and neighbors need you.

Cert Trains In

A man and woman wearing CERT green hard hats a green vests with two reflective safety stripes practice using a fire extinguisher on a small fire.
Fire Suppression
Several CERT trainees wearing safety gear give a mock emergency first aid demonstration with a male volunteer "victim," who is lying face up on the ground. One rescuer is talking to the victim while a second is holding his hand. He has fake blood on his face.
Triage and Emergency First Aid
An organization chart showing rectangles representing different roles, with "Incident Command" at the top, then three "Commanding Staff" positions ("Public Information Officer," "Safety Officer," and "Liason Officer"), then a row of "Chiefs" ("Operations Sections Chief," "Planning Sections Chief," "Logistics Section Chief," and "Financial/Administration Section Chief") and finally the words "General Staff," which presumably includes everybody else.
Emergency Command Operations
A CERT team demonstrates techniques to clear fallen debris off of victims. In this case an upside-down wooden table is pried up using a wooden pole as a lever and a block of wood as a fulcrum.
Search and Rescue

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