Get Trained
A trained community is a better prepared community! Learn how you and your family can help after an emergency or disaster by taking advantage of one or more of the following training opportunities.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training
What is CERT training?
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is teaches essential disaster management and response skills to prepare individual citizens and their families before a disaster strikes. The Department of Emergency Management sponsors the training and educates residents to ensure that the population has the best possible chance of surviving and recovering from a disaster. CERT trained individuals can better assist their families, neighbors, and communities until first responders can reach affected areas after a disaster.
Who?
Anyone can take a CERT class! Once you complete the training, you can join an existing team in the community or start your own, or use your skills to prepare your family better. A key factor for CERT teams is the ability to spontaneously organize and activate themselves in a major disaster. If a significant disaster occurs, phones and other communications channels may be interrupted. CERT teams will know where to go and how to organize their efforts and get to work without any specific order being issued. A CERT team member’s first responsibility is to themselves, their family, and their community. Find your local CERT team or Community Preparedness Group to get involved!
Training Options
In-person: Training consists of 16 classroom hours and a five (5) hour field exercise to test your skills.
Hybrid: Training consists of a self-led and self-paced curriculum, followed by an in-person five (5) hour hazard annex/skills assessment, and a five (5) hour field exercise.
Topics Covered:
- Damage assessment
- Warning and notification
- Evacuation
- Identify and assist those with access and functional needs
- Emergency triage and first aid
- Search and rescue
- Preparedness
- Periodic reporting to City
- Suppress small fires
- Emergency utility control
Other Training Opportunities
First Aid Training
Why?
On blue sky days, First Aid/CPR/AED training can be a valuable skill when every second counts before first responders can arrive. Following a major disaster, Fire and Emergency Medical Services will be overwhelmed and may not be able to respond to injured persons. With the First Aid/CPR/AED training, you could be a first responder for your family and neighbors.
Where?
The American Red Cross of Hawaii and AED Institute of America, Inc. offer various courses in First Aid, find the right one for you, today!
Bleeding Control
Why?
From bystander to empowered responder, you can learn to recognize and stop life-threatening bleeding. Stop the Bleed is a quick, one hour crash course on controlling severe bleeding in any situation.
Where?
Stop the Bleed clases are avaialable online at https://www.stopthebleed.org/training/online-course/
Psychological First Aid
Why?
Following a disaster, in addition to physical trauma, psychological trauma can be just as debilitating. The first days following a traumatic event are critical to a person’s mental health recovery process. Psychological First Aid will provide you with the practical tools to provide psychological support to stop the trauma from progressing.
Where?
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers trainings online and in person. Visit https://www.nctsn.org/resources/training for more information.