Learn basic disaster and emergency response skills – such as disaster preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue, and team organization – through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) nationally certified training program, which begins on January 19, 2022.

“We are changing the class structure this time around with daytime classes that meet three times a week instead of two,” said Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord. “This accommodates those who would find a daytime class more convenient, and it allows us to complete the training in fewer weeks.

Pre-registration is required for this 30-hour course that meets 1 to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at the Emergency Operations Center through February 3 can be accessed at www.flaglercounty.gov/emergency and select “Volunteering and Training” from the menu. The final class on February 3 starts with a morning session from 9 a.m. to noon, breaks for an hour, and reconvenes from 1 to 4 p.m.

“The program as an important partnership between the community and professional first responders,” Lord said. “CERT allows our residents to train with subject matter experts. Previous experience is not necessary – just a desire to learn and help others.”

Flagler County’s program is provided by the Emergency Management Office in partnership with the Fire Rescue Department and the non-profit Flagler Volunteer Services.  

“It is a way to improve overall community preparedness by educating residents about how to prepare for and respond to the hazards most likely to impact our community,” Lord said. “When our residents are trained in these basic disaster response skills, it allows our first responders to focus on the most critical needs in a disaster.”

The Winter 2022 CERT program will educate residents about topics such as: disaster preparedness; team organization; disaster medical skills; disaster psychology; fire safety and utility controls; light search and rescue; and, terrorism. Additionally, there is a disaster simulation.

Those who are interested in learning more about CERT may wish to consider taking the FEMA IS-317 (https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-317.a) interactive web-based course. This Independent Study (IS) course is an introduction to the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, and is taught in three lessons.

For more information about this Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, go to www.flaglercounty.gov/emergency and select “Volunteering and Training” from the menu, or for those without internet access, call 386-313-4200.

Media Release: Flagler County. Julie Murphy, MPIO

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