This is Your City!

The city of Los Angeles is as diverse as a large metro area can be. With more than 470 square miles of land, four million residents, multiple airports, the Port of Los Angeles, the Santa Monica Mountains, downtown high-rise buildings, and more than 100 different languages spoken, this is quite the place. Now, imagine what might go wrong if a massive earthquake ripped through the city. Watch Video.

Learn to Take Care of Yourself in the Event of a Disaster!

The answer is the Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT. Its origins go back to 1985, when a group of Los Angeles officials, including now retired Assistant Fire Chief Frank Borden traveled to Japan to learn about how the Japanese dealt with earthquakes. Not only was the trip filled with earth-shaking surprises, but the L.A. visitors discovered that community participants played a significant role in post-disaster support and response. Later that year, a separate trip was made to Mexico, where a major 8.1 earthquake had killed more than 10,000 people. 

A year later, the Los Angeles Fire Department created a pilot program to teach a core group of community members about basic fire suppression, first aid, search, and evacuation techniques. The first 30 people who completed the training demonstrated the effectiveness of the CERT concept, but it wasn't until the October 1, 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake that the city stepped up to support the CERT program. In 1993, CERT became part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offerings to communities nationwide. 

Who can Join CERT?

Anyone in good health and with a sense of community can become a part of CERT. If you become a CERT member, you will learn about important life-safety support techniques, but you will not be expected to place yourself in dangerous situations, either in the training or when a disaster strikes. Training includes:

• Learning to suppress small fires
• Basic first aid, including ABC treatment, treatment for shock, and related techniques
• Evacuation tactics and how to collaborate with city agencies to support neighborhood exits
• Search tactics
• Communications, including the use of radios

A key factor for CERT members is the ability to spontaneously organize and activate themselves in the event of a major disaster. If there is a significant earthquake, phones and other communications channels may be interrupted. CERT members will know where to go, how to organize their efforts, and will get to work without any specific order being issued.

What is Involved in Becoming a CERT Member?

CERT members receive 17 ½ hours (one day a week for seven weeks) of initial training. The 7-week course is followed by full-day biannual refresher drills, and an opportunity to assist the LAFD at local incidents. CERT is provided free of charge within the city of Los Angeles to anyone 18 or over.

Classes are taught mornings, afternoons and evenings continually throughout the year in locations all over Los Angeles.

The current schedule is always available on the internet at www.cert-la.com/basic. To register for a class, call the noted contact individual to verify the date, time and location of the class.

Important CERT Resources:

Become a CERT member. Learn How to Join.

Download and read the participant manuals. Get List of Documents.

If you don't see a class near you, call the LAFD CERT Unit at 818-756-9674 or send an email and give them your name, phone number, zip code and community name. When a class is scheduled in your area, they will contact you.

You can also organize a class for your neighborhood, business or community group. You need a minimum of 25 people to be trained and a location to hold the training. Call the LAFD CERT Unit at 818-756-9674 to schedule your class.

The LAFD CERT Training only conducts non-discriminatory classes. Non-discrimination includes race, religion, gender, and group affiliations.

For additional information, please visit: CERT-LA.

NOTE: The CERT program initiated in the City of Los Angeles. Today, CERT is a proud partner of Citizen's Corps, and is for every U.S. resident.

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