Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are made of trained volunteers who help residents during a disaster.
Cities and communities each have their own CERT program. The County Fire CERT serves parts of San Diego County’s unincorporated area. See communities we serve below.
What CERT volunteers do
The kind of help you provide will depend on the disaster and your training. Sometimes you will help emergency responders. Sometimes emergency workers are busy and you will need to act on your own.
Types of volunteer work include:
- Work at an evacuation shelter.
- Give out supplies.
- Give someone first aid.
- Help with disaster recovery.
You may also teach people how to prepare for an emergency.
Training
You need to take training to join a CERT volunteer team.
All volunteers must take a Basic CERT or Hybrid CERT training. The training County Fire offers is a total of 24 hours over several days.
Volunteers can then take additional training for specific duties. County Fire holds supplemental trainings about once a month.
How to volunteer
Contact the County Fire CERT manager:
Teresa Greenhalgh
Phone: (619) 857-8050
Email: Teresa.Greenhalgh@sdcounty.ca.gov
Communities the San Diego County Fire CERT Program serves
Central Division
- Borrego Springs Team: Borrego Springs, Ocotillo Wells, and Ranchita.
- Julian Team: Butterfield Ranch, Canebrake, Julian, Shelter Valley, Wynola, and neighboring communities.
- Ramona Team: Intermountain, Mt. Woodson, Ramona, and Witch Creek.
- Warner Springs Team: Santa Ysabel, Sunshine Summit, Warner Springs, and neighboring communities.
Northern Division
- Palomar Mountain and Pauma Valley.
Southern Division
- Alpine, Barrett Junction, Boulevard, Campo, Carveacre, Deerhorn Valley, Dehesa, Descanso, Dulzura, Guatay, Harbison Canyon, Jacumba, Jamul, Japatul Valley, Lake Morena, Lawson Valley, Lyons Valley, Mt. Empire, Mt. Laguna, Otay East, Pine Valley, Potrero, Tecate and other neighboring communities.
