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Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT)

Community Emergency Preparedness Coordinator (CERT)

CERT is a program that trains community members in disaster response. CERT teams are organized and managed at the local level. The local preparedness program coordinates and support this program for the state at large by providing training opportunities and resources for the establishment and sustainment of these vital community-based teams. If you are interested in joining or starting a CERT, contact your local office of emergency management for more details.

TRAINING

The training involves approximately 18-20 hours of classroom instruction. This training consists of interactive skills-based training, lectures and concludes with a hands-on training exercise. Class registration is free and open to community members who are 18 years or older. Teenagers between 16 to 17 years old may participate in the training if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

CERT team members wearing green helmets and safety gloves carry a training participant on a stretcher outside a building during a hands-on emergency response exercise.

CLASS PREREQUISITES

Please complete the following FEMA Independent Study Courses in the order below:

  • IS-317.a: Introduction to Community Emergency Response Teams
  • IS-315.a: CERT and the Incident Command System
  • IS-100.c: Introduction to the Incident Management System
  • IS-700.b: Introduction to the National Incident Management System

You will need to present these four certificates at the beginning of class. It is important that you complete these courses ahead of time as the accelerated class will only review material these courses cover so we can concentrate on the practical exercise and experience drawn from that.

In addition, you may also consider taking these two courses to gain a better understanding of the Incident Command System (ICS) and the National Response Framework (NRF).

  • IS-200.c: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response
  • IS-800.d: National Response Framework: An Introduction

It is recommended for CERT Volunteer Type 2 – National Qualification Standards (NQS) that volunteers complete 100, 200, 700 and 800. 

Interested in CERT in your area?
Email: DHSEM.localprepared@dhsem.nm.gov

Contact us about CERT teams in your area.
CERT team members pose outside in front of shipping containers with training mannequins, wearing green helmets and safety gear. The group smiles and gives thumbs up while sitting and kneeling beside the mannequins used for emergency response training.
Two CERT volunteers wearing green shirts and a CERT cap stand behind an information table with brochures and display boards at a community event. A green CERT banner is visible behind them, and other booths and attendees can be seen in the background.