Community Emergency Response Team: Introduction

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a national volunteer-based initiative that equips citizens with essential emergency response skills. CERT's training programs empower community members to respond effectively to disaster scenarios in their neighborhoods, ensuring immediate support even when emergency services may be overwhelmed or delayed. 

This nationwide initiative boasts a dedicated community of more than 600,000 CERT members across all 50 states, all of whom are committed to safeguarding their families, neighbors, and localities during disasters.

In a major disaster, emergency services may be delayed or overwhelmed. The CERT system fills that gap by organizing trained community volunteers to conduct light search and rescue operations, provide immediate aid, and relay critical information to emergency managers.

CERT Program

The CERT training program focuses on providing community members with basic skills crucial during disaster scenarios: assessing damage in designated areas, extinguishing small fires, shutting off natural gas inlets to damaged homes, conducting light search and rescue operations, and administering basic medical aid. Trained CERT volunteers also assist in non-hazardous roles, supporting service organizations in activities such as shelter support, crowd control, and evacuation events. This team's mission represents the community's commitment to collective strength, mutual aid, and resilience in the face of adversity.

To join CERT, volunteers must complete a 24-hour training course. The training covers a range of topics, including disaster preparedness, fire safety, utility control, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operations, disaster psychology, CERT organization, and terrorism. The courses are taught by CERT instructors and subject matter experts.

CERT Structure in PYC

In the PYC framework, CERT is structured across four levels—household, street, neighborhood, and community—so that response efforts may scale with the size and complexity of an incident. Volunteers operate within clearly defined roles and protocols, using standardized training and equipment aligned with state emergency worker regulations.

Household

CERT volunteers take care of self and household members first. They perform quick injury and infrastructure assessments and report conditions to Street Captain.

Street

At this level, activation is automatic after a disaster; members do not wait for formal deployment. CERT volunteers follow directions of the Street Captain to conduct light search and rescue, help with immediate first aid, assist in transporting injured to the Disaster Hub, assess Street damage, and turn off utilities. It is often the case that the Street Captain already is a CERT volunteer. If that is the case, the Captain should have a backup captain to manage the street when they go to perform their CERT duties at the closest Disaster Hub.

Neighborhood

CERT volunteers respond to their assigned Disaster Hubs and perform assigned duties there.

Community

CERT teams coordinate with the community’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and support broader response priorities. Teams may be tasked with area-wide assessments, resource management, or logistical support. Operations are tracked, documented, and integrated into the community’s official emergency response framework.

This structure enables CERT to respond rapidly, operate within legal protections, and scale effectively—starting with self and connecting all the way up to the community level.