The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is a critical component in the effort to engage every person in America toward helping make their communities safer, more prepared and more resilient when incidents occur.

The Gwinnett CERT program is managed by the Gwinnett County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and includes Initial CERT Training and CERT Volunteer opportunities. The National CERT program has evolved considerably since its inception nearly 30 years ago and Gwinnett County’s program is customized to provide the greatest benefit to our residents. We are very much focused on individual preparedness and CERT basic training will teach the skills needed to provide assistance in your homes, neighborhoods, and local communities until first responders arrive. The aim is to teach you how to take care of yourself, your family and your neighbors in the event of a disaster, not train an on-call team of volunteers. The training is free. 

Our program covers learning objectives included in the FEMA CERT Basic Training Curriculum. The topics taught over five evening sessions are:

• Planning and Preparedness: Introduction to disasters specific to Gwinnett County, Family Disaster Plans and building a kit.
• Fire Safety: Identifying and reducing potential fire hazards and basic fire suppression.
• Disaster Response, Part I: Search, triage, the treatment of life-threatening conditions and rescue techniques.
• Disaster Response, Part II: Head-to-toe patient assessment and treatment of various injuries.
• Recovery: Planning to recover CERT organization, how CERT relates to the Incident Command System and disaster psychology. 

One Saturday morning:

• Final Exercise: A realistic disaster simulation designed to reinforce the skills learned in class.