Community Survey:

We are working to create a better City of Oakland website. Lend your voice by taking our 5-minute survey.

Community Emergency Response Team Training [CERT]

Help us #ReadyOakland. Through training, individuals can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective until professional first responders can arrive. This training is great for organized teams of people, community groups, or neighbors who want be called upon to support their immediate neighborhood, and the broader Oakland community in an official volunteer capacity.

We encourage everyone to register for CERT training. If you have already submitted a registration form, you will be notified as space in the class becomes available, according to the schedule posted online. Session dates are subject to change based on operational need/capacity. All changes will be published on this website.

Please Note: Oakland CERT training takes at minimum, 24 hours to complete and can be delivered in two ways. The first option is to complete the training in 3 days via the in-person accelerated delivery or; the training can be completed via hybrid delivery, whereby a portion of the training is completed online via independent study modules and a weekly Zoom meeting before participants meet for the second, in-person and hands-on, skills training component.

How do CERT teams help?

Oakland CERT Members assess and document neighborhood damage.
Oakland CERT Members assess and document neighborhood damage.

After completing the CERT training course, participants should be able to take the necessary steps to safely secure themselves and their families. Beyond that, CERT Trained Volunteers are prepared for and expected to lead their communities by supporting any larger, neighborhood or Citywide disaster or emergency responses. Once trained and CERTified as a Disaster Service Worker Volunteer [DSW-V], members may be called to serve by identifying and reducing potential fire hazards in and around their neighborhoods, recognizing life-threatening conditions and applying appropriate life-saving techniques, conducting light search and rescue operations and, supporting with situation and status reporting.

Is your neighborhood's CERT on our map? If not, contact us to register your current CERT (aka CORE) team.

Oakland CERT In Action | Resources for Current and Future CERT Members

Upon successful completion of the CERT training, course graduates receive their CERTificates and become official City of Oakland Disaster Service Worker Volunteers [DSW-V]. Here's what CERT training looks like IRL [in real life].

CERT Training Schedule

ACCEPTING REGISTRATIONS FOR CERT TRAINING SESSIONS:
2024.1 - Hybrid [Online/In-person] Delivery
2024.2 - 3 Day Adult Accelerated Delivery
2024.3 - 3 Day Adult Accelerated Delivery
2024.4 - 3 Day Adult Accelerated Delivery
2024.5 - Hybrid [Online/In-person] Delivery


The CORE Program Outreach, Training, and Exercise schedule can be found here.

2024.1 Hybrid Delivery | Dates: 2/5/24 - 3/3/24

Virtual Instruction Module Zoom Office Hour Date & Time

Welcome/Orientation

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr
  • Date: Monday, February 5, 2024 AND Tuesday, February 6, 2024
  • Time: Sat - 6:30pm - 7pm
  • Location: Zoom
  • This is a required session
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 1 – Disaster Preparedness

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 30min

Unit 2 – CERT Organization

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr, 5min
  • Date: Wednesday, February 7, 2024
  • Time: 6pm - 7:30pm
  • Location: Zoom
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 3 – Disaster Medical Ops.

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 30min

Unit 4 – Disaster Medical Ops.

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr, 15min
  • Date: Wednesday, February 14, 2024
  • Time: 6pm - 7:00pm*
  • Location: Zoom
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 5 – Disaster Psychology

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 20min

Unit 6 – Fire & Utility Safety

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 50min
  • Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
  • Time: 6pm - 7:30pm*
  • Location: Zoom
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

Unit 7 – Light Search & Rescue Ops.

  • Estimated Completion Time: 2hr, 30min

Unit 8 – Terrorism & CERT

  • Estimated Completion Time: 1hr, 10min
  • Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2024
  • Time: 6pm - 7:30pm*
  • Location: Zoom
  • This session is optional
  • This session will take place virtually via Zoom
  • View meeting recording [This recording is from a prior CERT Training Session]

In-person Skills Training & Assessment/Skills Refreshers/Make for existing CERT members

  • Estimated Completion Time: 16h
  • Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024 AND Sunday, March 3, 2024
  • Time: Sat - 8:30am - 5pm AND Sun - 9am- 5pm
  • Location: Oakland | exact Address is TBC
  • The CERT Skills Training & Assessment is a required meeting
  • This meeting is a two day event that will take place in-person
  • These dates are tentative and may be subject to change based operational need
  • View Skills Training & Assessment photos [These photos are from a prior CERT Training Session]

If you have been accepted into the current CERT training session, you will have received a Notice of CERT Training Acceptance via email.

NEXT STEPS: Attend the Oakland CERT Welcome & Orientation meeting. All Oakland CERT Meeting dates and times are listed here.
IMPORTANT: A calendar invitation to the Welcome and Orientation meeting will be sent to everyone who received a Notice of CERT Training Acceptance. You do not need to "register" for any of the weekly meetings. Information to join the weekly meetings will be sent to class participants at least 24 hours in advance of the schedueled meeting. Attending the Welcome and Orientation meeting will ensure that you are on the e-mailing list to receive the training updates and alerts pertaining to your cohort. If you are taking the Hybrid CERT delivery, a link to register for an account on the CalOES training platform was provided in the Notice of CERT Training Acceptance. Please consider setting up your e-learning account as soon as possible.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please email the Oakland CERT Coordinator: BHorton@OaklandCA.gov.

About

After completing Oakland Community Emergency Response Team [CERT] training, course graduates will:

  • Be able to identify and anticipate hazards in the home and workplace
  • Understand what steps to take in order to increase personal and family readiness
  • Be familiar with the Incident Command System and basic functions
  • Know how to organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers in a disaster or emergency
  • Know how to apply basic medical techniques/basic first aid
  • Be able to set up medical treatment areas
  • Know how to help reduce survivor and DSW-V stress
  • Know how to safely extinguish small fires
  • Be able to conduct light search and rescue activities
  • Be able to assist emergency responders in mass casualty incidents.
  • Understand the appropriate actions to take in an active shooter situation
  • Be able to promote CERT Training in Oakland

Oakland CERT Training is available free of charge via hybrid [Digital/In-person] delivery, or via an accelerated 3- Day, in-person delivery. Teen CERT is typically delivered in-person, via the linked learning pathway and certification program at ARISE High School in Oakland.

Youth who do not attend ARISE High School may join any of the hybrid or accelerated CERT classes provided that parent or guardian permission has been obtained.

Click here to register for a future CERT session.

Contact Us

Address

CORE Program Homepage

CORE Program Homepage

Phone Numbers

Email Address

Social Media