Lake Forest Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The Lake Forest Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is part of a nationally supported, locally implemented initiative that teaches people how to better prepare themselves for emergencies and disasters. Since 1993, CERT trains the public in basic disaster response skills such as team organization, disaster medical operations, fire safety, and light search and rescue. The ability for CERT volunteers to perform these activities frees up professional responders to focus their efforts on more complex, essential, and critical tasks. In Lake Forest, CERT volunteers also assist the City at events such as the Fourth of July Parade and Taste of Lake Forest.

The basic CERT course is made of nine units:

Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness
Unit 2: CERT Organization
Unit 3: Disaster Medical Operations - Part 1
Unit 4: Disaster Medical Operations - Part 2
Unit 5: Disaster Psychology
Unit 6: Fire Safety and Utility Controls
Unit 7: Light Search and Rescue Operations
Unit 8: Terrorism and CERT
Unit 9: Course Review, Final Exam and Disaster Simulation

Certified CERT trainers lead the courses, along with the Orange County Fire Authority and Falck Ambulance. The courses are Wednesday evenings at the Lake Forest Civic Center, 100 Civic Center Dr. The class is free.