Community Emergency Response Team Training [CERT]

Help us #ReadyOakland. Through training, individuals can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective until professional first responders can arrive.

Register for Oakland CERT Training

Community Emergency Response Team [CERT] Training

Basic Logo - Green white and black.

After completing the CERT training, course graduates will:

  • Be able to identify and anticipate hazards in the home and workplace
  • Understand what steps to take in order to increase personal and family readiness
  • Be familiar with the Incident Command System and basic functions
  • Know how to organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers in a disaster or emergency
  • Know how to apply basic medical techniques/basic first aid
  • Be able to set up medical treatment areas
  • Know how to help reduce survivor and DSW-V stress
  • Know how to safely extinguish small fires
  • Be able to conduct light search and rescue activities
  • Be able to assist emergency responders in mass casualty incidents.
  • Understand the appropriate actions to take in an active shooter situation
  • Be able to promote CERT Training in Oakland

Oakland CERT Training is available free of charge via hybrid [Digital/In-person] delivery, or via an accelerated 3- Day, in-person delivery. Teen CERT is typically delivered in-person, via the linked learning pathway and certification program at ARISE High School in Oakland.

Youth who do not attend ARISE High School may join any of the hybrid or accelerated CERT classes provided that parent or guardian permission has been obtained.

Click here to register for a future CERT session.

Watch Video | Benefits of CERT Training - Lessons from California, Texas, & Florida

Current CERT Training Schedule

2022.3 Hybrid Delivery | Dates: 7/25/2022 - 8/28/2022

Please Note: CERT training takes at minimum, 24 hours to complete.

Virtual Instruction Module Zoom Office Hour Date & Time

Welcome/Orientation

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr
  • Monday, July 25th [6:00 - 7:00pm] or Wednesday, July 27th [6:00 - 7:00pm]
  • This is a required session [you only need to attend one.]
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 1 – Disaster Preparedness

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 30min

Unit 2 – CERT Organization

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr, 5min
  • Thursday, July 28th [6:00 - 7:30pm]
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 3 – Disaster Medical Ops.

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 30min

Unit 4 – Disaster Medical Ops.

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr, 15min
  • Thursday, August 4th [6:00 - 7:30pm]
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 5 – Disaster Psychology

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 20min

Unit 6 – Fire & Utility Safety

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 50min
  • Thursday, August 11th [6:00 - 7:30pm]
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 7 – Light Search & Rescue Ops.

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 30min

Unit 8 – Terrorism & CERT

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr, 10min
  • Thursday, August 18th [6:00 - 7:30pm]
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Units 1 - 8 - Optional Review Session
  • Tuesday, August 23rd [6pm-7pm]
  • Tuesday, August 23rd [7pm - 8pm]

In-person Skills Training & Assessment/Skills Refreshers/Make for existing CERT members

  • Estimated Completion Time: 16h
  • Saturday, August 27th 8:30am - 5pm and Sunday, August 28th 8:30am - 5pm
  • The CERT Skills Training & Assessment is a required meeting
  • This meeting is a two day event that will take place in-person
  • These dates are tentative and may be subject to change based operational need
*This is a make-up session for those participants whose Skills Training & Assessment was postponed on Saturday, May 21st 8:30am - 5pm and Sunday, May 22nd 8:30am - 5pm.

Future CERT Training Sessions

CERT Session Number & Start Dates CERT Registration Form Submitted Date Related Links

REGISTRATION PORTAL CLOSES: 1/14/22

NO REGISTRATIONS FOR CERT TRAINING ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME.

REGISTRATION PORTAL REOPENS: 3/21/22

REGISTRATION PORTAL REOPENS: 3/21/22

ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS FOR CERT TRAINING SESSIONS:

  • 2022.2
  • 2022.3
  • 2022.4
  • 2023.1

REGISTRATION PORTAL CLOSES: 1/13/23
  • CERT Session: 2022.2
  • Session Dates: 4/22/22 - 5/22/22
  • Session Cap: 50
  • Priority will be given to groups of 3 or more registrants who represent the same "Organizational Tag"/have the same neighborhood affiliation
  • Priority will be given to individuals who have a physical or mailing address that is linked to any of the shaded areas, in accordance with this map.

Registrants will be notified via email at the email address provided on the registration form, by April 4, 2022.

  • CERT Session: 2022.3
  • Session Dates: 7/25/22 - 8/28/22
  • Session Cap: 50
  • Priority will be given to groups of 3 or more registrants who represent the same "Organizational Tag"/have the same neighborhood affiliation
  • Priority will be given to individuals who have a physical or mailing address that is linked to any of the shaded areas, in accordance with this map.

Registrants will be notified via email at the email address provided on the registration form, by June 24, 2022.
  • CERT Session: 2022.4
  • Session Dates: 12/1/22 - 12/4/22
  • Session Cap: 50
  • Priority will be given to groups of 3 or more registrants who represent the same "Organizational Tag"/have the same neighborhood affiliation
  • Priority will be given to individuals who have a physical or mailing address that is linked to any of the shaded areas, in accordance with this map.

Registrants will be notified via email at the email address provided on the registration form, by October 31, 2022.

We encourage everyone to register for CERT training. If you have already submitted a registration form, you will be notified as space in the class becomes available, according to the schedule posted above. Session dates are subject to change based on operational need/capacity. All changes will be published on this website.

Additional CERT Resources

This is a list of resources that will be available soon to help you on your journey to becoming an active Oakland CERT member. We will continue to update this section as new information becomes available.

Oakland CERT In Action

After 24 hours of instruction, CERT Trainees safely gather in-person to complete their CERT Skills Training & Assessment. Upon successful completion of the CERT training, trainees are sworn in and become official City of Oakland Disaster Service Working Volunteers [DSW-V]. Here's what CERT training looks like IRL [in real life].

About

Meet Your CERT Instruction Team

Upon completing the CERT training course, participants should be able to take the necessary steps to safely secure themselves and their families. Beyond that, CERT Trained Volunteers are prepared for and expected to lead their communities by supporting the larger, government led response.

CERT graduates will be able to; recognize life-threatening conditions and apply appropriate life-saving techniques, conduct patient head-to-toe assessments, employ basic treatment for injuries, and understand disaster medical operations. CERT Participants should be able to identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods and also perform basic fire suppression strategies, resources, and safety measures.

In addition to the above, trained CERT Volunteers will also be able to describe the post-disaster emotional environment and the steps that volunteers can take to relieve their own stressors and those of disaster survivors. The FEMA-CERT Curriculum will describe the most common techniques associated with light search and rescue operations including identifying planning and size-up requirements, searching a structure, debris removal, survivor extrication, and rescuer safety. This curriculum also helps to explain current terrorism trends and the measures CERT volunteers can take to increase preparedness before and safety during a terrorism incident.

Contact Us

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