Community Emergency Response Team

Are you interested in improving your own personal preparedness? Do you want to train to help others in an emergency? 

The Madison Area Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) trains volunteers to assist emergency services and prepare themselves and their neighbors for disruptions that happen here. 

What does the CERT do?

The Community Emergency Response Team may be assigned to:

• Support community preparedness outreach efforts through training and exercises;
• Assist with resource distribution and information sharing in the community after a disruption;
• Support emergency services with mass care, evacuation, and light search and rescue efforts.

Through hands-on practice and realistic exercises, CERT volunteers learn how to safely respond to human-made and natural disasters, help organize basic disaster response, and promote preparedness within our community. 

Joining the CERT team requires completion of initial training and annual refresher training, as well as passing a background check. 

CERT Training

CERT Training consists of lectures and hands-on skills demonstrations on a variety of topics, including Emergency Preparedness, Disaster Medical Operations, Fire Safety, Light Search and Rescue, Disaster Psychology, and Terrorism. 

CERT volunteers will also learn about light search and rescue, disaster medical skills, fire safety and utility controls, leadership in disasters, and traffic and crowd management.

You may take the training for your own awareness or join the team and volunteer for assignments in the Madison area. 

For more information about future training opportunities, contact Emergency Management Specialist Jenn Behnke.

CERT in Action

Watch the video below to gain a better understanding of how CERTs are used.

Madison Area CERT is sponsored by the Madison Fire Department.