Goleta Emergency Response Team Training Openings

Space is still available for the City of Goleta’s second Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. It is a free program open to residents of the City of Goleta.

The CERT training program prepares community members to take a more active role in emergency preparedness. CERT participants are trained to serve as part of neighborhood or workplace response teams in the event of a major disaster, when emergency services may not be available and when residents may have to rely on each other for life-saving and life-sustaining needs.

Participants in the CERT program will learn about disaster preparedness and response, basic fire safety, disaster psychology, first aid, and light search and rescue techniques. CERT courses consist of a series of eight (8) classes. Each course will conclude with a mock-disaster drill, which will test the participants’ knowledge and skills learned in the training. The CERT course is taught by fire fighters, first responders and volunteers from Santa Barbara County.

The classes are free of charge and begin on Tuesday, January 18th, and conclude on Tuesday, March 8th. All classes will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays at the Goleta Valley Community Center. The mock-disaster drill will be held on Saturday, March 12, from 8 a.m. to noon. Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to enroll early.

Those interested in participating must be 18 years of age and a resident of the City of Goleta. An application form can be downloaded or picked up at the City of Goleta at 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B. This program is offered through Goleta Prepare Now.

For questions and comments, call 805-961-7510 or email goletapreparenow@cityofgoleta.org.