Our volunteer training is called CERT Basic Training (CBT). It is a free, in-person, 8-class training course held over 4 weeks which takes about 30 hours to complete. Classes are taught by local emergency response/management personnel and volunteers and include lecture, discussion, and hands-on learning.
CBT is held three times a year in the spring, summer, and fall. Classes typically are held on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings.
Applications for each CERT Basic Training class open 2 months before each start date.
To receive notifications for when applications open, subscribe to email alerts on the right side of this page (scroll to the bottom if on a smart phone).
The application requires the following information: name, email address, cell phone number, home/work addresses, emergency contact, languages spoken, and birthdate. We also ask optional demographic information that help us with program planning but do not affect the status of your application.
We recognize that it can be difficult for most Arlingtonians to be able to attend all eight classes in a single course. However, please apply for a course where you can attend at least 4 of the 8 classes. You will be able to makeup missing classes at future trainings.
Community members who take this course will be able to:
- Take steps to prepare yourself, your family, and your community for a disaster;
- Identify threats and hazards unique to our community and how to prepare for them;
- Describe the function and organization of a CERT program and the role CERTs play at all stages of the emergency management cycle;
- Recognize life-threatening conditions and apply appropriate life-saving techniques, employ basic treatment for injuries, and understand disaster medical operations;
- Describe the post-disaster emotional environment and steps that you can take to relieve your own stressors and those of disaster survivors;
- Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in your home, workplace, and neighborhoods and perform basic fire suppression; and
- Describe the most common techniques associated with light search and rescue operations.
The eighth and final class includes a practical exam comprised of disaster simulations to give trainees the ability to apply their newly acquired skills in a semi-realistic environment.