The Winter Basic CERT Academy training will start January 10, 2012, and will run:

• Tuesday evenings, January 10, 17 and 24 from 6pm to 9pm
• Saturdays, January 14 and 20 from 9am to 4 pm and January 28 from 9am to 1pm

Trainings will be held at 5770 Freeport Boulevard, Sacramento.

CERT training is provided to the public at no cost. The funding for the training is through grants that the Fire Department receives from the Department of Homeland Security. The basic course (Level 1) is one night a week for 8 weeks. The classes are taught by instructors from the Fire Department and CERT members who have been trained as instructors. The basic course covers the following:
1) Introduction to Disaster Awareness
2) Fire Safety Techniques
3) Disaster Medical (2 weeks)
4) Light Search and Rescue Operations
5) Team Organization and Management (uses the ICS format) which includes sizing up the problem and disaster psychology
6) Terrorism - what it is, what kind of weapons they are, B-NICE indicators and CERT protocols for terrorist incidents.

The final review is a drill which teams up the class into groups and goes through a disaster drill.

To apply, please download and print the CERT Volunteer Application.