Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

First starting in California with the LA Fire Department in 1985, the Community Emergency Response Team or CERT has grown to be a vital component of emergency response throughout the country. CERT is made up of local volunteers who assist in the community’s response to a disaster. Think of it as neighbor helping neighbor. According to FEMA over 600,000 people have received CERT training since its inception in 1985.

As a CERT member, you will receive approximately 20 hours of training in a variety of fields including disaster preparedness, fire suppression, light search and rescue, first aid and more. However as a member of Sturbridge CERT there are even more opportunities to receive additional specialized training with Sturbridge Police, Fire, and Emergency Management professionals. In addition you receive a free CERT kit that has all of the supplies you will need to take care of your family and support local response efforts.

Sturbridge has an active CERT unit that helps to support emergency preparedness/response efforts in Town. Our CERT unit can be seen directing traffic at an accident site, supporting Police and Fire efforts during the Pan-Mass Challenge, and managing shelters during an emergency activation. We are proud of our CERT volunteers and are always looking for new members. Even if you cannot dedicate the time to actively serve on CERT, the training is invaluable during a disaster and well worth the time.

If you are interested in learning more about CERT including how to get involved here in Sturbridge, please send an email to CERT@sturbridgepd.com and we will help to answer your questions. If you want to take the online section of the CERT training and gain a better idea of what CERT entails, FEMA offers that training for free online. You can access it by clicking here.