The CERT concept was developed and implemented by the Los Angeles City Fire Department in 1985.  The Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987 underscored the area-wide threat of a major disaster in California.  Further, it confirmed the need for training civilians to meet their immediate needs.

CERT became a national program in 1993.  There are now CERT programs in all 50 states, including many tribal nations and U.S. territories.  Each is unique to its community, and all are essential to building a Culture of Preparedness in the United States.  There are over 2,700 local CERT programs nationwide and more than 600,000 people have trained since CERT became a national program.

Sources:  Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) | FEMA.gov

“The City of Newark recognizes that in the event of a major disaster or emergency within the City or the County of Alameda, the City's services will be overwhelmed.  Our community members may need to help each other, and the Newark CERT program offers training through our partnership with Alameda County Fire.

These trainings include basic fire suppression, light search, and rescue, putting together a disaster kit and much more.  These skills will provide immediate and deliberate response to save lives and protect property.

Our CERT Academy provided by Alameda County Fire is a 20-hour training program that is both lecture and interactive skills-based training that concludes with a hands-on exercise.

After completing the CERT Academy, we encourage you to sign-up for Newark CERT and become a Disaster Service Worker Volunteer (DSWV) and participate in Newark CERT trainings and exercises.”

CERT BOARD CERT Coordinator David Libby Communications Branch Position open until filled Logistics Branch Rudy Kelly Liaison Branch Sam Elbandak CERT Program Manager Richard Martinez  richard.martinez@newark.org

FREE CERT Classes.  Find classes here:  CERT Training Schedule 2024 Revised 6.10.24 

Notes:

• All training sessions are subject to change, based on speaker availability.
• All Wednesday training sessions will be held in person.  Video conferencing may be available.
• All Wednesday training sessions and Open House are open to everyone.
• Saturday training sessions (in bold type) are meant to be hands-on sessions for CERT academy graduates and will be held in-person, locations to be announced.  Those under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Sign-up to be notified of monthly training sessions.  Training is for both Newark and Union City.
• Academy Sign-up.

Preparedness Training

The Alameda County Fire Department offers a variety of trainings to provide community members with the tools and resources to become better prepared and self-sufficient during a large scale emergency or disaster.

Whether you are able to spend two hours or 20 hours becoming better prepared for the next emergency, we encourage you to review the descriptions of our emergency preparedness trainings and participate in the program that best suits your needs.  To learn more about PEP/CERT, Click Here.

Community Preparedness Resources Link Pages

• 211 Alameda County
• AC Alert
• AC Ready
• ACWD
• Alameda County Waste Management Authority
• American Red Cross (Santa Clara Valley Chapter)
• American Red Cross East Bay
• CAL OES
• Earthquake Web Link
• PG&E
• The Community Preparedness Website Project
• United States Geological Survey (Dept. of the Interior)
• Association of Bay Area Government
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)