About CERT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), began promoting nationwide use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994. Since then, CERT’s have been established in hundreds of communities across the nation.

CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic emergency skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area.

If an emergency event overwhelms or delays the City’s first responders, CERT members can assist their neighbors by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives until help arrives. CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies.

CERT members maintain and refine their skills by participating in exercises and activities. They can attend supplemental training opportunities offered by the Newport News Office of Emergency Management in human and pet sheltering operations and emergency supplies distribution centers for residents. CERT members can also help with future CERT classes as instructors, moulage artists, and actors in disaster simulations.

Ongoing Participation

Those who complete the CERT training are expected to help prepare individuals and organizations in the neighborhood to take care of themselves in the event of a disaster by providing or facilitating education about emergency preparedness. Volunteers must be willing to help neighbors and the community in the event of a disaster, after assuring self and family safety. CERT members must seek out and take advantage of opportunities to enhance emergency preparedness and disaster skills. Continued participation in community events, drills and training others is required.

Getting Started

There is no cost to take the CERT course. The courses are taught twice per year (once in the Spring and once in the Fall) and run for seven consecutive weeks with a final exercise on a Saturday morning to test your skills in a simulated disaster setting.

The classes are open to Newport News residents. You are encouraged to take the class with neighbors, church members, family members etc. so that you can learn and work together as a team. The class size is limited to no more than twenty-five students.

All students must be at least eighteen years old and must sign a waiver prior to enrollment. Registration forms can be obtained by calling the Newport News Office of Emergency Management at 269-2900.

Businesses and colleges who would like to form a CERT team for the workplace or campus should contact the Newport News Office of Emergency Management at 269-2900 for more details.