Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about the hazards that affect Solano County and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, personal preparedness, and disaster medical operations. People who go through CERT training have a better understanding of the potential threats to their home, workplace, and community and can take the right steps to lessen the effects of these hazards on themselves, their homes, or their workplace. If a disaster happens that overwhelms local response capability, CERT members can apply the training learned in the classroom and during exercises to give critical support to their family, loved ones, neighbors, or associates in their immediate area until help arrives. When help does arrive, CERTs provide useful information to responders and support their efforts, as directed, at the disaster site. CERT members can also assist with non-emergency projects that improve the safety of the community. In Solano County, the CERT training is provided through the collaborative efforts of various emergency agencies and coordinated by the Solano VOAD.