NEW! Teen CERT Training!
TEEN CERT is a national Homeland Security Initiative directed at making our schools and communities safer by having educated / trained youth capable of preparing for and responding to disasters and emergencies. TEEN CERT is an integral part of the Citizen Corps movement. TEEN CERT is a training program that prepares you to help yourself, your family and your school in the event of a disaster. As a member of TEEN CERT, you can respond to disasters, participate in drills and exercises, and take additional training.
The purpose of the TEEN CERT program is to train students in emergency preparedness and response to ensure students have the skills needed to protect themselves, and assist others, in the event of an emergency. In addition, students are likely to bring lessons learned in the classroom home, thereby spreading the preparedness message to the entire family.
Students who are between the ages of 13-18 and have their parents' or Guardians' written permission can take the course.
Download an application form and fax or mail it in.
Training
The goal of Alachua County Fire/Rescue Services Division of Emergency Management is to offer 3 "Regular" CERT classes per year. These classes will be taught on weeknights (typically Tuesday) from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. for seven consecutive weeks. Classes will typically begin in January, April, and September depending on any disaster (such as hurricanes) that impacts our area or requires our staff to be deployed out of the area.
This training is free! Priority will be given to applicants who are residents of Alachua County. All applicants must be at least 18 years old at the time of the first class meeting.
If you have a group of 25 to 30 people who are interested in obtaining this training during normal business hours, contact Ebbin Spellman at 264-6550 or espellman@alachuacounty.us to discuss scheduling a class specifically for your group. These classes are dependent on the availability of our training staff and should be scheduled at least one month in advance.
Next CERT Class: We are currently accepting applications to form the next classes.
2009 CERT Class Schedule
March 3- April 14
May 5- June 16
September 1- October 13
Location: CERT classes are held at the Alachua County Emergency Operations Center -1100 SE 27th Street in Gainesville (next to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office).
Download an application form and fax or mail it in. Deadline to apply for these classes are one week prior to class.
In order to be assigned to a CERT team, students must complete FEMA Independent Study (IS) courses IS-100, Introduction to The Incident Command System, and IS-700, Introduction to The National Incident Management System. These courses are available online http://training.fema.gov/IS/nims.asp Students are also encouraged to complete IS-200, ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents, and IS-800.B, Introduction to The National Response Framework.
Meetings:
Melrose CERT Team
Thursday,
Melrose Landing Clubhouse
7:00 PM - 9:00 PM