The Commuinty Emergency Response Team (CERT) training for community groups is usually delivered in three hour sessions, one evening a week over a seven to eight week period and contains both instruction and practical application of skills. The training consists of the following:

Session I

CERT Overview:
CERT concept and organization are discussed as well as applicable laws governing volunteers in that jurisdiction.

Session 2

Disaster Preparedness:
Addresses hazards to which people are vulnerable in their community. Materials cover actions that participants and their families take before, during, and after a disaster.

Session 3

Disaster Fire Suppression:
Briefly covers fire chemistry, hazardous materials, fire hazards, and fire suppression strategies. The main part of this session is the safe use of fire extinguishers, sizing up the situation, controlling utilities, and extinguishing a small fire.

Session 4

Disaster Medical Operations, Part I:
Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding, and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.

Session 5

Disaster Medical Operation, Part II:
Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area and performing basic first aid.

Session 6

Light Search & Rescue Operations:
Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, rescue techniques, and most important, rescuer safety.

Session 7

Disaster Psychology & Team Organization:
Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.

Session 8

Course Review & Disaster Simulation:
Participants review their answers from a take home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous sessions in disaster activity.