The Tacoma Fire Department invites citizens of all abilities who live or work within the city limits of Tacoma to attend our Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) classes.
Aimed at preparing groups of citizens in our community to prepare for and respond to disasters, the classes will follow a model developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and 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 hours or days following a disaster before emergency responders 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, and perform light search and rescue.
Typically, a series of six classes will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings for three weeks, from 6:30 PM - 9 PM, and will culminate in a practical exercise to be held on a Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM. Instructors will be uniformed Firefighters with special experience in a particular area or subject matter experts from other areas. You will have no out-of-pocket cost for these classes.
We will accept up to 30 students per series of classes. Graduation requires your attendance at all sessions listed below. To find out when the next CERT class is scheduled and enroll in the series of classes, complete the online registration form, or call Josh Shelton with the Tacoma Fire Department at (253) 591-5955.