Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training

West Pierce Fire & Rescue invites community members who live or work in the Lakewood and University Place area to attend our next session of CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) classes.  Aimed at preparing groups in the community to prepare for and respond to disasters, these classes follow a model developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and are offered in cities across the United States.

The idea behind this model is to teach people in neighborhoods how to help each other in the first few minutes or hours following a disaster – before emergency responder are able to get to them to render professional help.  In the classes, students will gain hands-on skills such as how to put out small fires, render first aid in a disaster situation, perform light search and rescue and much more.

The series of six classes will be held two nights per week for three weeks, from 6:00 – 9:00pm, and will culminate in a practical exercise to be held on a Saturday from 10:00am – 2:00pm.  Classes are held at WPFR stations and instructors are uniformed firefighters with special experience in the particular area, or subject matter experts from other areas.

Participants must be at least 18 years old. Participants who are at least 14 years old may attend with a parent also registered or at least 16 years old with a parent’s permission.  The classes are free!

Click here for the latest class schedule. For more information or questions, please contact:

Rachel Adler, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator