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Group photo at the end of the final exercise of all victim actors, participants, and instructors | Credit: Courteesy 
CERT graduates with their certificates | Credit: Courteesy 
CERT participants hearing from County Fire outside of City Hall at class #2 | Credit: Courteesy 
Participants simulating carry out of a disaster victim | Credit: Courteesy 
Participant recording number of victims during an exercise | Credit: Courteesy
GOLETA, CA, March 24, 2026 – The City of Goleta is pleased to announce the graduation of the largest Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) class in the South County in the past several years. This past Saturday, March 21, a total of 26 community members received their Basic CERT completion certificate at the Goleta Community Center. The participants spent 20 hours over the past three Saturdays learning essential skills of how to prepare and respond to a disaster. This is the second basic CERT course offered in Goleta this year and the 25th in the City’s history.
Goleta’s Emergency Services Coordinator Jason Levy is pleased with how the class turned out, he said, “This cohort consisted of highly engaged community members who demonstrated enthusiasm for learning and a strong commitment to supporting one another and their neighbors. These graduates are now part of Goleta’s growing network of trained residents who can support preparedness efforts, participate in volunteer opportunities, and step up during emergencies if needed.”
Participants learned hands-on skills across all CERT modules, including:
- Disaster preparedness and local hazard awareness
- Fire extinguisher use and utility safety
- Basic medical operations and triage
- Light search and rescue
- CERT team organization and communication
- Disaster psychology
- A final hands-on simulation to put their skills into practice
During the final simulated drill, participants worked together to locate victims, perform rescues, and conduct disaster medical operations. It was an eye-opening experience.
CERT graduate Jana Pierce said, “The exercise at the end of the class really brought home for me what really matters is how we all came together as individuals to put into practice building a team to help our community.”
The City extends heartfelt appreciation to our CERT instructors from the American Red Cross, Fire Safety Training Institute, Santa Barbara Food Bank, City of Santa Barabara, City of Carpinteria, and the Santa Barbara County Fire Protection District. Their expertise, passion, and commitment to community safety made this training a meaningful and empowering experience for everyone involved.
Residents are encouraged to sign up for alerts from Santa Barbara County at ReadySBC.org and check for upcoming CERT trainings scheduled for fall 2026 classes by visiting the City’s webpage at http://www.CityofGoleta.org/Preparedness.
