CERT Basic Training Classes
Fall 2023 classes are now forming
Basic CERT classes are offered twice each year. These classes are open to residents and employees of the Lamorinda area. This includes the cities of Lafayette and Orinda, the Town of Moraga and the unincorporated areas of Canyon and Briones and that part of Saranap that is not in the Walnut Creek School District. Teenagers age 14-17 are welcome with a parent, guardian or Scout Leader. We do ask for a commitment. That commitment is to attend all the classes in a series including the exercise; to maintain your skills through periodic practice and additional training; and to be ready to help your community in time of disaster. Class series are held each year in Lafayette and/or Orinda. Each series is nine weekly evenings of approximately 3 hours including a 4 hour skills exercise.
What is included? The Lamorinda CERT curriculum is based on the FEMA standard CERT curriculum. We localize and enhance it to be appropriate for local residents. Little time is spent talking about hurricanes but we cover earthquake and wildfire preparedness in detail. The subjects covered are: personal and home preparedness for all-hazard emergencies; radio communications; utility, hazardous materials and fire safety; disaster medical response; light search and rescue; Incident Command System; disaster psychology; terrorism; and pet preparedness. We do NOT teach CPR but encourage all to be CPR/AED trained.
There is a non-refundable class registration fee. To those who attend the first five classes we will distribute, at no charge, a CERT specific medical supply kit of hard to find items valued at over $40.
Out-of-District Students. Occasionally our classes are not filled with in-district students. If you do not live or work in Lamorinda, you may be able to sign up for one of our class series. To do so, send a request to registrar@lamorindacert.org and ask if there are openings. The cost for an out of district student class fee is $100. This almost covers our out-of-pocket costs per student!
Participant Manual. The Participant Manual is available in .pdf format for you to print at home. The manual is approximately 300 pages in length. A printed manual is available as an option. At checkout, when paying for your class fee, you will be offered the option of a printed manual. It is printed with tab dividers and delivered in a binder with printed cover and spine. The printed manual is offered at our current cost.
Scholarships are available to attend the CERT training for high school students in need. Inquire here.
Access and Functional Needs. All presentation materials have been designed to be accessible for low-vision and color blind persons. Reasonable accommodations for people with other access and functional needs are available upon request. Make your request as early as possible as last minute requests will be accepted but may be impossible to fill. If accommodation is needed, please send your request to registrar@lamorindacert.org .
As with every activity we do in CERT, all times are listed in 24 hour format. 1830 = 6:30 p.m.
Fall 2023 Session – CLASS REGISTRATION WITHIN LAMORINDA CLASS REGISTRATION OUT-OF-DISTRICT
| DATE | UNITS | LOCATION | TIME | INSTRUCTORS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Sept 14, 2023 | Introduction & Preparedness | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Sparks / Merrifield |
| Thursday, Sept 21, 2023 | CERT Organization & Communications | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Macler / Matthews |
| Thursday, Sept 28, 2023 | Fire Safety | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Airola / Dick |
| Thursday, Oct 5, 2023 | Medical Part I | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Sparks / Lin |
| Thursday, Oct 12, 2023 | Medical Part II | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Merrifield / Sparks / Lin |
| Thursday, Oct 19, 2023 | Search & Rescue | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Lipp / Lee |
| Thursday, Oct 26, 2023 | Cribbing, Pets, Mini-Drill | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Seibert |
| Thursday, Nov 2, 2023 | Exercise | Contra Costa Fire District Training Center | 1800 to 2200 | All instructors |
| Thursday, Nov 9, 2023 | Psychology, Terrorism & Graduation | Orinda Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | White / Wilde |
Winter 2024 Session – CLASS REGISTRATION WITHIN LAMORINDA CLASS REGISTRATION OUT-OF-DISTRICT
| DATE | UNITS | LOCATION | TIME | INSTRUCTORS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Jan 12, 2024 | Introduction & Preparedness | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Jan 19, 2024 | CERT Organization & Communications | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Jan 26, 2024 | Fire Safety | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Feb 2, 2024 | Medical Part I | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Feb 9, 2024 | Medical Part II | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Feb 16, 2024 | Search & Rescue | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Feb 23, 2024 | Cribbing, Pets, Mini-Drill | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | |
| Thursday, Mar 2, 2024 | Exercise | Contra Costa Fire District Training Center | 1800 to 2200 | All instructors |
| Thursday, Mar 9, 2024 | Psychology, Terrorism & Graduation | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 |
For more information, contact the Registrar.