If you have already completed CERT training elsewhere and are interested in joining CSUN's CERT Team, please email nelson.cox@csun.edu
What Is CERT?
The Community Emergency Response Team Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
In an emergency, the CERT Team Leaders and members are an essential core group of volunteer responders to assist in the response to a disaster or emergency as directed by the EOC Volunteer Unit Coordinator and in conjunction with the CSUN Police and the Los Angeles Fire Department, and are dedicated to emergency preparedness and response for the CSUN community.
Why CERT?
A major disaster in our community can overload the capability of our first responders in the first 12 to 72 hours. Having citizens like faculty, staff, students and community members who are better prepared to take care of themselves and others in times of crisis will allow emergency services to focus on the most critical, life threatening situations. In 95 percent of all emergencies, the neighbor or bystander provides the first immediate assistance on the scene. CERT was created in order to have a nationwide all-risk, all-hazard training programs for communities. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make
a difference.
Our Goals:
- Create and manage appropriate communications channels to ensure that CERT participants can communicate with one another in the event of a critical incident and obtain information about CERT activities.
- Promote and increase campus and individual preparedness by gathering, disseminating, and presenting preparedness information to campus employees.
- Organize training and drills related to CERT and individuals and campus preparedness and safety.
- Promote and increase campus and individual preparedness by gathering, disseminating and presenting preparedness information to campus employees.
Training:
Each semester, CSUN hosts a CERT class which is taught by the Disaster-Preparedness Unit of the Los Angeles Fire Department. The class is available for free to all faculty, staff, students and community members. The class is a six-week, 17 1/2 hour disaster and preparedness course. It follows nationally accepted Federal standards for Community response training.
The training will help you to:
- Develop basic emergency-response skills including fire safety, team organization, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations.
- Learn decision-making organizational and practical strategies to provide immediate assistance to loved ones, neighbors and work associates.
- Respond effectively and efficiently to events at home, work and in your community without placing yourself or others in unnecessary danger.
For questions about the training class, please contact Nelson Cox, Emergency Manager at or 818-677-5973.
City and State Resources and Partners:
In addition to CSUN's team of CERT volunteers and program, there are CERT volunteers assisting police and firefighter throughout the City of Los Angeles and the State of California. The following web sites provide information on CERT training and partners in Los Angeles.
