Severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, and winter storms can cause a great deal of damage to communities, in turn overwhelming emergency responders and in some cases, leaving neighborhoods cut off from outside emergency support.

To help Cary citizens better prepare for weather emergencies, the Cary Fire Department offers free training for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). CERT training is a Citizens Corps program designed to enable citizens to care for themselves and their neighbors during the first three days following a disaster event.  Participants are educated about disaster preparedness, CERT organization, light search and rescue, medical care, fire extinguisher use, and disaster psychology.

Class size is 25 participants and is held on a three consecutive day schedule, which is Friday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and then 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Participants must attend all three days to be certified.

How to Register

To get information on the next upcoming class or to register to attend, contact the Cary CERT Training and Membership Coordinator at carycert@gmail.com.