Goleta is once again offering Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The classes will be held April 13, 20 and 27 from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Goleta Valley Community Center.

Classes are free of charge however space is limited. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Contact Luz Reyes-Martin at lreyesmartin@cityofgoleta.org or (805) 961-7558 to sign up today.

CERT is a free program open to residents of the City of Goleta who are over 18 years of age. It prepares community members to take a more active role in emergency preparedness. CERT participants are trained to serve as part of neighborhood or workplace response teams in the event of a major disaster, when emergency services may not be available and when residents may have to rely on each other for life-saving and life-sustaining needs.

Participants in the CERT program will learn about disaster preparedness and response, basic fire safety, disaster psychology, first aid, and light search and rescue techniques. The course will conclude with a mock-disaster drill, which will test the participants’ knowledge and skills learned in the training. The CERT course is taught by fire fighters, first responders and volunteers from Santa Barbara County.

This program is offered through Goleta Prepare Now, a program of the City of Goleta.