Who: Community Members Interested in Being Better Prepared in an Emergency
What: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training
Where: Fire Training Academy, 415 Maxwell Frye Road, Millersville, MD 21108
When: Friday, April 26; Saturday, April 27; Sunday, April 28; with Practical Exercises on Sunday, May 5, 2024

Additional Details

During an emergency or following a major disaster, first responders may not be able to meet the increased demand for their services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates community members about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using this training, CERT-trained individuals can assist others in their family, their neighborhood, and their community until first responders arrive.

Anne Arundel – Annapolis Community Emergency Response Team (AAACERT) is pleased to provide this CERT Basic Training. Our 21-hour course teaches these skills using updated FEMA-supplied materials, incorporating practical exercises, and culminating with a disaster scenario in a realistic environment.

The target audience for this course are individuals who desire the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and respond to a disaster. The minimum age is 16 and there is no maximum age. Everyone participates to the extent that they can, given individual constraints.

Our Late April class will start on April 26, 2024.

• April 26 (Friday evening): 6pm-9pm
• April 27 (Saturday): 8am-5pm
• April 28 (Sunday): 8am-3pm
• May 5 (Sunday): 1pm-5pm (course completion and disaster simulation)

Classroom instruction and all practical exercises, including our final disaster simulation will be conducted at the Anne Arundel County Fire Training Academy in Millersville.

PREREQUISITES

You must complete the following two, free on-line FEMA Emergency Management Institute courses prior to start of class on Day 1:

1. IS-100: Introduction to the Incident Command System (ICS)
2. IS-700: An Introduction to the National Incident Management System

If you don’t have one already, you will need to obtain a FEMA Student ID (SID), which is free.

After you have completed each course, take the on-line exam. If you pass the exam by getting at least 75 percent of the answers correct, FEMA will email you a link to a printable certificate (in PDF format) to verify your completion of each course. Please forward the two FEMA emails with the links to the certificates, or e-mail PDFs of the two certificates, to Bruce Morgenstern, our AAACERT Lead Instructor, at bruce@aaacert.org.

Although the FEMA course descriptions state that each online course takes up to three hours to complete, students generally complete each course and then take an on-line exam to certify completion of the course in a little more than half that time.

COURSE COMPLETION

You must complete all prerequisites and all units in the CERT Basic Training to receive your nationally recognized Certificate of Completion.

REFUNDS

Last-minute cancellations limit opportunities for others to register. Therefore, refunds are only available if you cancel at least seven days prior to the beginning of class. Note: Irrespective of when you cancel, add-on fees are not refunded.

QUESTIONS?

For more information on CERT Basic course objectives or for the course outline, go to www.aaacert.org. If you have any other questions, please contact the AAACERT Lead Instructor, Bruce Morgenstern, at bruce@aaacert.org.

We look forward to having you!

Be Prepared. Have a Plan