Your Santa Cruz City Fire Department has embarked upon an aggressive public education effort designed to train interested neighborhood groups to be self-sufficient for the first 72 hours after a natural disaster occurs. CERT training gives both theoretical and practical experiences that will prepare you, your family and your neighbors to better cope with a disastrous situation.
Neighbors helping each other can make a big difference.
Experience has proven that the first three days after a disaster are critical, when emergency services might be unavailable. By teaching the basics of emergency preparedness, disaster medicine and light search and rescue, the Santa Cruz Fire Department hopes to empower individuals to feel confident enough to take control of an emergency situation and do what is best for their families and immediate neighborhood. The CERT training is organized into five weekly sessions of two to three hours each. There is no charge for the CERT training or materials. We only ask for enthusiasm and commitment to the training.