Jan 17, 2025 CERT Training Volunteer Opportunity

Jan. 17, 2025 - A new Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is coming up and open to community members, including our campus community at CSUCI.

The CERT program is a jointly coordinated effort between the Ventura County Fire Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and aims to teach residents about potential disasters that could affect their area and how to safely respond to them.

Participants will learn to:

• Reduce hazards in your home and create an emergency plan for your family.
• Stock important items in your emergency kits to shelter-in-place or evacuate when necessary.
• Fire Safety and practice putting out a fire with a fire extinguisher.
• Disaster medical first aid -- when you are the first to see an injured person, be prepared to help!
• Set up a treatment area for survivors.
• Light search and rescue
• Know what to do during an emergency incident at school or the workplace. After a major incident, volunteers and helpful people are needed.

This is a series of six Tuesday evening classes, between March 4 through April 8, which will be held in-person at the VCFD Regional Training Center in Camarillo. A final exercise will be held on a Saturday morning in mid-April, either the 12^th or 19^th. Upon completion, each graduate will receive a start-up pack including a helmet, gloves, vest, and goggles, plus a certificate of completion.

You can learn more and register online for the CERT training. Please note this training is open to those 18 and older. Youth ages 15-17 may attend classes along with a parent or guardian.

For more information contact Maggie Tougas at [email protected].