Community Emergency Response Team
Applications being accepted for the Spring 2020 Classes.
6:00-9:00 PM each Wednesday for the following dates:
April 1, 8,15, 22, 29, May 6. Final drill is on Saturday, May 9 from 8am-4pm.
Port Hueneme CERT classes are free and held at the Orvene S. Carpenter Community Center, located at 550 Park Avenue in Port Hueneme. Classes are scheduled 6:00-9:00 p.m. on six consecutive Wednesdays with a Final Drill on the following Saturday. No prior experience is needed and the classes are open to Port Hueneme residents 18 years and older. To enroll in a class, please complete application forms below and email them to CERT@cityofporthueneme.org
What is CERT?
Local government prepares for every day emergencies. However, during a large disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is designed to educate Port Hueneme residents and businesses about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and instructs them in basic disaster response skills. Using the skills learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can give critical support to their families, neighbors, and community immediately following a disaster when residents may initially be on their own and emergency services may not be available to help.
The training covers basic lifesaving skills that are important to know in a disaster situation and provides valuable support to the City, neighborhoods, and emergency response personnel.
Why was the CERT Program developed?
The CERT training program was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and modeled after the original 1985 program used by the City of Los Angeles Fire Department. The purpose of the CERT program is to create a well-trained citizen emergency work force which is vital in the immediate aftermath of disaster situations when the number and scope of incidents overwhelm conventional emergency services.
Why do the CERT Training?
CERT members are primarily used in their own neighborhoods. CERT training means you are as ready as you can be to help yourself, your family, and your neighborhood, and serves as the basic level of training for all community-based disaster volunteer teams in Ventura County. In a disaster, normal activities will be disrupted, police, fire, 9-1-1, and ambulances will be quickly overwhelmed, and may not be able to respond for 72 hours. Residents need to be able to take care of themselves until the professional emergency responders arrive. One goal of the CERT program is to help residents respond to and assist others in need and do so effectively without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.
What type of training do CERT members receive?
All classes are taught by trained emergency personnel, including firefighters with expertise in disaster management. Information about the Ventura County CERTprogram can be found at this website: http://vcfd.org/CERT.
Over the course of six weeks CERT members receive training in:
- disaster fire suppression techniques and extinguisher
- basic first aid and triage (bleeding, shock, airway obstruction)
- light search and rescue operations
- utility control (how and when to shut them off)
- damage assessment
- recognize potential hazards (i.e. hazardous materials)
- disaster psychology
- organizing and managing a neighborhood team
Ready to sign up? There are 3 required forms each applicant must fill out: CERT Liability Form, City of Port Hueneme CERT Application, and Ventura County Fire Protection District waiver. All three forms are required for enrollment.