Primary Core Capability: Planning

This in-person course prepares participants to establish and sustain an active local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. The responsibilities of a local CERT Program Manager are various. This course defines the core components of a local CERT program and focuses on effective practices.

For additional course information, including contact hours, please see the National Preparedness Catalog.

• Define the purpose and core components of a local CERT program.

• Use strategic planning to define the mission and goals for a local CERT program.

• Describe the purposes and strategies for promoting a local CERT program.

• Establish a process for working with volunteers.

• Establish a process for working with instructors.

• Establish a process for acquiring and managing program resources.

• Build a plan for delivering and managing safe training and exercises.

• Describe the role of policies and procedures in operating a local CERT program.

• Develop a process for evaluating a local CERT program.

• Describe how to sustain a local CERT program.

• A referral from a CERT-sponsoring agency. The CERT-sponsoring agency could be a local, regional, or state government agency.

• Completion of Basic CERT training or IS 317 online course

• Must have a FEMA Student ID number (https://cdp.dhs.gov/femasid).

Visit FEMA's Emergency Management Institute to complete these Independent Study courses.

Program trainers or coordinators knowledgeable of the CERT program, committed to serving as instructors in their community, and willing to be included in a statewide instructor database.