County Fire Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

What:  The CERT program is composed of volunteers from across San Diego County Fire’s jurisdiction who are trained to assist their fellow citizens in basic disaster response. CERT programs are active in all 50 states. Each is unique to its community and are essential to building a culture of preparedness in the United States. In all, there are over 2,700 local CERT programs nationwide and more than 600,000 people have trained since CERT became a national program in 1993.

Why: County Fire CERT's mission statement: Promote disaster preparedness planning; provide emergency awareness training and during large-scale disasters or incidents, provide operational response support to the San Diego County Fire Authority/Fire Protection District for residents in the unincorporated areas of San Diego County.

When: County Fire CERT has deployed numerous times in recent years, providing critical assistance in numerous wildfires and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Work has included conducting welfare checks, distributing supplies, working with the American Red Cross at shelter and temporary evacuation points, and disaster recovery operations. County Fire’s work and expertise have been recognized at the state and national levels.

      “We are neighbors helping neighbors” – San Diego County Fire Community Emergency Response Team

                                     SAN DIEGO COUNTY FIRE CERT ORGANIZATIONAL CHART