Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Logo

The Tustin Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training Course is a 5-night, 20-hour Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) approved program that provides you with the basic skills to respond to your family, neighborhood and community’s needs in the aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services may not be immediately available. By working together, CERT members can assist in saving lives and protecting property using the basic techniques taught in this course.

Course Instruction

The course instruction is provided by the Orange County Fire Authority and the City of Tustin.

Course Sessions

This course is currently offered twice a year, in Fall and Spring. Our Spring 2026 class has been scheduled.

The 5-week program will be held at different locations within Tustin.  First night will be at the Tustin Senior Center (200 S C St, Tustin, CA 92780).  The dates and times for the Spring 2026 program are as follows: 

  • Tuesday, April 14 - 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  • Thursday, April 16 - 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  • Tuesday, April 21 - 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  • Thursday, April 23 - 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
  • Thursday, April 30 - 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm 

Below is the full schedule, including location and course details for each class: CERT Schedule Website April 2026

Course Enrollment

Please fill out a CERT Application below and submit it via email to TustinCERT@tustinca.org. 

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the participants should be able to:

  • Describe the types of hazards that are most likely to affect their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
  • Take steps to prepare themselves and their families for a disaster.
  • Describe CERT organization and documentation requirements.
  • Understand the functions of a CERT and their role in immediate response.
  • Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods.
  • Work as a team to apply basic fire suppression strategies, resources, and safety measures to extinguish a pan fire.
  • Understand medical triage concepts in disaster conditions.
  • Perform head-to-toe patient assessments.
  • Select and set up a treatment area.
  • Apply basic techniques for opening airways, controlling excessive bleeding, and treating for shock.
  • Employ basic treatments for various injuries and apply splints to suspected fractures and sprains.
  • Conduct planning and size up for light search and rescue situations.
  • Work as a team to apply safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication.
  • Understand the post-disaster emotional environment and the steps that rescuers can take to relieve their own stress and those of disaster survivors

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