CERT

Kern County Fire Department

What is CERT?

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

This program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.  CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, allowing them to focus on more complex tasks.

Prepare For Public Health Emergencies

NEIGHBOR CHECK-INS

NEED FOOD?

FEED YOUR COMMUNITY

CERT Volunteers are encouraged to use this time to ensure their family’s safety and complete or renew their online training. California Volunteers has provided these flyers for volunteers and ways we can help.

Helpful Links

The CERT Basic Course was created to help the participant help themselves and their household before, during, and after a disaster or emergency.

The CERT Basic Course is a 20-hour course that is taught classroom-style with hands-on activities.  Participants perform tasks such as use a fire extinguisher, practice bandaging and splinting, and lifting large objects using cribbing techniques.  The class ends with a disaster simulation that gives participant the chance to put their new skills into practice.

Participants are taught to be able to take care of themselves, their family, and neighbors in the event of a disaster…in that order.  Therefore, if a person just wants to take the class so they can take care of themselves and their family, they will not be turned away.

While this is valuable training, it does not ‘qualify’ the participant to help anyone beyond their household or immediate neighbors. For most of the population, this is enough.  For others, they want to serve others. These individuals complete additional training and join one of the teams in the county.

CERT volunteers under their sponsoring agency’s leadership have helped during emergencies and disasters such as flooding events and the Ridgecrest Earthquake.

CERT volunteers also support planned events like large races and parades.  CERT volunteers also provide information at community events to help everybody prepare for a disaster.

FEMA provides “IS-317: Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams,” as an independent study course that serves as an introduction to the CERT Basic Course.

If you are still interested, locate a CERT volunteer team near you to inquire about the next available CERT Basic Course. Since the curriculum is standardized, you can attend a class in a neighboring area and still join your local team.

Where are the Kern County CERT Teams?

Crystal Jackson, CERT Coordinator, Kern County Fire

crjackson@kerncountyfire.org

661.391.7115 (w) 661-301-7111(c)

 David Orr, Coordinator, dorr@calcityfire.us    

 Brenda Dawson, Communications Lead, bredawson@live.com
 Ryan Marrone, Sgt. RPD, rmarrone@ridgecrest-ca.gov

David Shaw, Communications Lead, tehachapicert@gmail.com
Facebook – TehachapiCERT
TechachapiCERT.com

Tom Klein, Coordinator, krvcert@yahoo.com
Dean Ott, Asst Coordinator, ott_dean@yahoo.com
Facebook – cert Kern River Valley

Eric Sill, Coordinator, eric.sill@wonderful.com
Gary Garrahan, Asst. Coordinator, gary.garrahan@wonderful.com

Kevin Woten, Coordinator, wotens@hughes.net

Mountain Communities CERT Team
Po box 723 Frazier Park Ca. 93225

Facebook: mountain communities cert team

Crystal Jackson, CERT Coordinator, Kern County Fire

crjackson@kerncountyfire.org

661.391.7115 (w) 661-301-7111(c)

Crystal Jackson, Kern County CERT Coordinator, crjackson@kerncountyfire.org

Dominque Dieken, Coordinator, StallionSpringsCERT1@gmail.com
David Burt, Assistant Coordinator, windwarddb@gmail.com

Nancy Vera, Coordinator, navera@cityofwasco.org

Contact:

Kern County CERT Coordinator
Kern County Fire Department
Cell: 661-301-7111


Crystal Jackson
crjackson@kerncountyfire.org

 

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