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What is the City of Folsom Community Emergency Response Team?
What is the City of Folsom Community Emergency Response Team?
During disaster response, affected communities depend heavily on local and national volunteer organizations to provide trained volunteers and much-needed donated supplies. Additionally, communities are more resilient when residents have been trained to ‘be the help before help arrives’. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a program, supported by FEMA, that trains community members to be self-sufficient and help their neighbors in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, providing support to first responders until professional help arrives. CERT programs are available in all 50 states. While CERT is a nation-wide program it is administered locally. In our community, Folsom CERT is sponsored by the Folsom Fire Department. CERT members are volunteers.
CERT programs aim to empower individuals to prepare for and respond to disasters, acting as a “force multiplier” for professional responders. CERT members receive training in basic skills like first aid, fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. In the event of a disaster, CERT members can assist with tasks such as:
Providing immediate assistance to victims
Organizing spontaneous volunteers
Gathering disaster intelligence for professional responders
Assisting with evacuation and traffic control
Supporting emergency operations centers
Assisting with setting up neighborhood shelter
In Folsom, CERT also supports non-disaster work — first aid at local events, searches for missing at-risk persons, cooling and clean-air centers, severe-weather support, first aid training for local scout troops, and logistical support to the fire department and the region’s Incident Management Team.
What is the Folsom CERT Academy?
What is the Folsom CERT Academy?
The CERT Basic Training program trains the public in disaster preparedness. This makes a more resilient community. CERT-trained residents can better help themselves and their neighbors during disasters before professional first responders arrive by performing tasks such as searching for and rescuing people, providing basic medical assistance, putting out small fires, and handling other small incidents.
Folsom CERT and Folsom Fire Department provide the Folsom CERT Academy twice a year to provide basic training to the public. The course curriculum includes how to assist family members and neighbors until emergency responders arrive. The academy consists of:
A series of online disaster preparedness modules
Some hands-on, in-person classes where skills are practiced
A disaster simulation drill so you can apply what you have learned
Completion of the Folsom CERT Academy will empower you with a basline set of skills in disaster preparedness and is the first step towards becoming a member of Folsom CERT, should you desire to continue your training.
The Folsom CERT Academy is presented in a hybrid format, where portions of the training are in-person and portions are online. You must first complete the online self-directed portion and then the in-person portion to receive a certificate of completion.
Who Can Join
Who Can Join
The CERT Academy is FREE.
No medical nor firefighting background is required.
Participants must be age 18 or older, or over 16 and attending with a legal guardian.
Preference is given to applicants who live or work in Folsom.
A backpack with required personal protective equipment will be provided.
Next Academy
Next Academy
The Folsom CERT Academy is generally held twice per year, once in the spring, and once in the fall. Classes are held at Folsom Fire Station 35 on Glenn Dr. The final Disaster Drill and Exercise is held at the El Dorado Hills Fire Training Center.
Academy 26-2 (Fall of 2026) - Now accepting registrations!
Date Time Description Location
Thursday, September 10th 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm CERT Academy Kickoff Meeting Folsom Fire Station 35
Saturday, September 12th 9:00 am - 3:00 pm CERT Academy Hands-on Skills Day 1 Folsom Fire Station 35
Saturday, September 19th 9:00 am - 3:00 pm CERT Academy Hands-on Skills Day 2 Folsom Fire Station 35
Thursday, September 24th 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm CERT Academy Disaster Drill EDH Fire Training Center
Academy 27-1 (Spring of 2027) - Dates TBD
Date Time Description Location
Weekday Evening Date TBD 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm CERT Academy Kickoff Meeting Folsom Fire Station 35
Saturday Date TBD 9:00 am - 3:00 pm CERT Academy Hands-on Skills Day 1 Folsom Fire Station 35
Saturday Date TBD 9:00 am - 3:00 pm CERT Academy Hands-on Skills Day 2 Folsom Fire Station 35
Weekday Evening Date TBD 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm CERT Academy Disaster Drill EDH Fire Training Center
How Can I Get More Information?
How Can I Get More Information?
General information about the concept of CERT can be found at https://www.fema.gov/cert
If you have any other questions, please contact academy@folsomcert.org
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