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The next three-day session will be held Fall 2024.

Courses are held on Friday (6–10 p.m.), Saturday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Sunday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) at the O'Fallon Justice Center. You must attend all 2½ days. Attendance greater than 90% is required to pass the course.


CERT log roll

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), using the model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, began promoting nationwide use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994. Since then, CERT’s have been established in hundreds of communities.

CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people that they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills. CERT members are then integrated into the emergency response capability for their area. If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community’s professional response, CERT members can assist others by applying the basic response and organizational skills that they learned during training. These skills can help save and sustain lives following a disaster until help arrives.

CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies. CERT members maintain and refine their skills by participating in exercises and activities. They can attend supplemental training opportunities offered by the sponsoring agency and others that further their skills base. Finally, CERT members can volunteer for projects that improve community emergency preparedness.


  • CERT Course Outline

    CERT Training provides individuals who complete this course with the basic skills required to respond to their community's immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster when emergency services are not immediately available. By working together, CERT volunteers can help save lives and protect property using the basic techniques in this course. The target audience for this course is individuals who desire the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and respond to a disaster.

    • Session 1 – Disaster Preparedness: Learn what actions participants and their families should take before, during and after a disaster. Learn how to operate in a safe, appropriate and legal manner.
    • Session 2 – CERT Organization: Briefly covers CERT organization, mobilization and documentation.
    • Session 3 – Disaster Medical Operations -  Part I: Participants practice diagnosing and treating airway obstruction, bleeding and shock by using simple triage and rapid treatment techniques.
    • Session 4 – Disaster Medical Operations - Part II: Covers evaluating patients by doing a head to toe assessment, establishing a medical treatment area, performing basic first aid, and practicing in a safe and sanitary manner.
    • Session 5 – Disaster Psychology and Team Organization: Covers signs and symptoms that might be experienced by the disaster victim and worker. It addresses CERT organization and management principles and the need for documentation.
    • Session 6 – Fire Safety and Utility Controls: Covers fire chemistry and considerations, resources, suppression safety, hazards and hazardous materials.
    • Session 7 – Light Search and Rescue Operations: Participants learn about search and rescue planning, size-up, search techniques, and most important: rescuer safety.
    • Session 8 – CERT and Terrorism: Participants learn about terrorism preparation, active shooter situations and Hazmat and CBRNE situations.
    • Session 9 – Course Review and Disaster Simulation: Participants review their answers from a take-home examination. Finally, they practice the skills that they have learned during the previous sessions in disaster activity.
  • Eligibility Requirements

    People from all walks of life are eligible to attend the CERT program, including concerned citizens, Neighborhood Association members, Civic Organization members, college students, potential police applicants, factory workers, independent business people, city and county workers, Neighborhood Watch members, and many others.

    Requirements
    • Persons interested in attending the CERT Program must live, work or attend school within St. Charles County
    • Persons Must be at least 18 years of age, have no prior felony convictions, have not been a suspect in a crime involving moral turpitude, have no involvement in criminal behavior or have police contact believed to compromise the integrity of the O'Fallon CERT Program or the O'Fallon Police Department and have no outstanding warrants
    • The O'Fallon Police Department reserves the right to disqualify any applicant as a result of information discovered during the background investigation
    • Applicants must provide two personal references

    The application requires that the Applicant must sign before a Notary Public. The O'Fallon Police Department has Notary Service available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., free of charge.

  • CERT FAQs

    Can someone under age 18 participate?

    How do CERT members maintain their skills?

    How do I take CERT training?

    How does CERT benefit the community?

    How is the CERT funded?

    What about liability?

    What if I have concerns about my age or physical ability?

    What if I want to do more than just the basic training?

    Who can take the training?

    Why take the CERT training?


Sign-up for O'Fallon CERT

Register now for the next O'Fallon CERT class and learn how you can help in the event of an emergency. Classes are held at the O'Fallon Justice Center, 1019 Bryan Road.

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) application (PDF)


Office of Emergency Management

Officer Larry Bunt lbunt@ofallon.mo.us 636-949-7900 Ext. 4642