Fall 2024 CERT Classes are underway - stay tuned for Spring 2025 course dates!
Stay tuned for 2025 teen and adult CERT training dates and registration instructions! If you are interested in hearing about future training opportunities, please click here to receive information about Adult classes (18+) or click here for Teen classes (high school students).
About CERT
The City of Alexandria CERT program was established in 2003 and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in Fall 2023. CERT is a national program comprised of volunteers trained in disaster preparedness and emergency response. Alexandria CERT is administered by the City’s Fire Department, Office of Emergency Management.
CERT educates you to prepare yourself, your family, and your neighbors for hazards that may impact our community and provides you the tools necessary to confidently respond to emergency situations. You will learn basic disaster response skills such as how to conduct post-disaster damage assessments, triage survivors, provide basic medical care, extinguish small fires, and work effectively as a team with other CERT volunteers. When emergencies occur, CERT volunteers serve as a critical resource to support first responders by providing immediate assistance and helping organize others to support disaster needs. CERT volunteers also participate in non-emergency projects that help improve the safety and resiliency of the community.
Why Should I Join?
If you are interested in being better prepared, learning more about your community, and helping Alexandria become better prepared, you are encouraged to register for an upcoming CERT class. Throughout the course, you will:
- Receive FREE training
- Earn volunteer hours
- Learn new skills
- Access opportunities to become involved in your community
- Collect a FREE emergency preparedness kit upon course completion
CERT Curriculum
The CERT Basic Training Course comprises of approximately 24 hours of training including a small-scale hands-on disaster response exercise. The CERT material is based on a national curriculum set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The nine units are as follows:
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: CERT and Terrorism
Unit 9: Course Review, Final Exam, and Disaster Hands-on Exercise
Upon completion, additional training and volunteer opportunities will be shared with you.
Teen CERT
The City of Alexandria is proud to have launched our first ever Teen Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program in Fall 2023! Eligible attendees must be 9th-12th grade students who live in Alexandria or attend school—public, private, homeschool—in the city.
Teen CERT follows the same curriculum as the Adult CERT program. The training is designed to be informative and interactive. Throughout the training, you will have the opportunity to hear from emergency response experts in the City and participate in hands-on exercises.
Expanding our existing CERT program to teens will better prepare the city, increase our community’s resiliency, and better connect teens with emergency preparedness training and volunteer opportunities. Join the City’s Teen CERT program to learn more about your community and to help Alexandria become better prepared.
Training and Course Application Information
Fall 2024 classes are underway - stay tuned for 2025 course dates!
Adult CERT
Audience: Individuals 18+ who live, work, or own a business in the city of Alexandria
Registration: Click here to express interest in attending a future offering.
Training dates/times: TBD
Teen CERT
Audience: 9th-12th graders who live or attend school in the city of Alexandria
Registration: Click here to express interest in attending a future offering.
Training dates/times: TBD
Questions and Contact Information
For questions about the CERT program or to express interest in an upcoming class, please contact the CERT Coordinator at coordinator@alexandriavacert.org.
We look forward to you joining the Alexandria CERT team!
The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation, email curice.paulus@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.6105.
