The City will not be able to respond to all of the immediate needs of its citizens following a major disaster.
CERT is designed to encourage direct citizen involvement in the city's response to a disaster.
Its primary goal is to provide disaster survival skills and knowledge in order for residents to function independent of outside assistance the first 72 hours of a disaster. As a means of addressing the disaster needs of the community, the Santa Clara County Fire Department working with the Emergency Preparedness Committee shall train residents to both prepare for a disaster and know what to do in the event of a disaster. This will reduce the reliance on the city's limited resources, and provide a potential pool of volunteers who can readily integrate into the disaster operations. CERT participation is available to persons living and working within the proximity of the City of Los Altos. Training shall be coordinated by the Fire Department.