What you’ll do
We all have a role to play in keeping our communities safe. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is a national program of volunteers trained in disaster preparedness and emergency response. During a disaster, as a Teen CERT you might:
- Help organize volunteers
- Give assistance to neighbors
- Collect damage assessment information
- Provide shelter support
Teen CERTs can also help in their neighborhoods and schools year-round. You might participate in CERT disaster drills and exercises or help with preparedness outreach to peers.
CERTs are volunteers, so there is no requirement after taking the training to respond in a disaster. Your skills will be useful at home with your family and those close to you.
What you’ll learn
It takes about 20 hours to complete the Teen CERT training. During the training, you will learn how to:
- Organize and work as a team
- Put out small fires
- Conduct light search and rescue
- Set up medical treatment areas
- Help people who are injured
- Identify and anticipate hazards
- Reduce fire hazards in your home
You can take a short Introduction to CERT online training for more detail about the course. It’s about 2 hours and will give you a good idea about the scope of the course.
To learn more, watch a short video about CERTs in Action.