If available, emergency services personnel are the best trained and equipped to handle emergencies and certainly are our first line of defense.  However, following a catastrophic disaster, you and the community may be on your own for a period of time because of the size of the area affected, lost communications,  impassable roads and other situations that could overstress our emergency response capabilities.

CERT training is designed to prepare you to help yourself, your family, and your neighbors in the event of a catastrophic disaster.  Because emergency services personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you can make a difference by using the training you receive to save lives and protect property.

CERT is Neighbor-Helping-Neighbor, doing the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

A community based pro-grams targeted at community residents

A group of ordinary citizens who want to help in time of disaster

Comprised of people trained in basic emergency skills offering immediate help to victims until professional services arrive.

CERT is NOT a replacement for First Responders, Fire, Law Enforcement, and Emergency Medical Services etc. This training covers basic skills that are important to know in a disaster when emergency services are not available.  With this training and practice and by working as a team, you will be able to do the greatest good for the greatest number after a disaster, while protecting yourself from becoming a victim.

The CERT program consist of training in the following areas, Team Organization, Disaster Preparedness, Medical Operations, Fire Suppression, Disaster Psychology, Light Search and Rescue, Animals and Disaster, and Terrorism.

Those who benefit from the training should thank the Los Angeles Fire Department for their vision and initiative in developing CERT, and for their willingness to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency who in turn made this available to those states who were interested.

This past year the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) developed a plan to sponsor and implement CERT in Delaware.

To date we have conducted many CERT training sessions and have trained hundreds of Citizens of Delaware.

CERT Classroom Training

Alan Levine, President, Happy Harry's Corporation puts out a fire during the CERT Fire Suppression Block, assisted by Bob Seinsoth, Director of Loss Prevention

On 14, 15 January 06,the State CERT Instructor team led by Bob George and Marny McLee, with the support of Wilmington's Citizen CORPS Council provided  training to the Happy Harry's Organization.