City of Evanston
Home MenuCommunity Emergency Response Team (CERT)
What is CERT?
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of Evanston volunteers who assist the Office of Emergency Management in times of need. In the event of serious man-made or natural disaster, the Office of Emergency Management may call upon CERT Volunteers to help respond. CERT volunteers are also sometimes asked to help support the Office of Emergency Management in non-emergency situations, such as staffing large public events.
CERT volunteers also receive basic training on disaster response, fire safety, and light search and rescue, so that they may be able to help others before the arrival of professional first responders in any situation.
Spring 2026 Session (March 5 - April 23, 2026)
The spring session for CERT training will take place Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. The session is FREE and eligible for ages 17 and up. You must be willing to attend all 7 sessions. The training of approximately 20 hours will cover classroom instruction and hands-on lessons. Registration will open in 2026. There will be no class the week of April 1.
Tentative schedule:
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Week 1: Disaster Preparedness & CERT Organization
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Week 2: Disaster Medical Part 1
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Week 3: Disaster Medical Part 2
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Week 4: Terrorism & CERT, Disaster Psychology
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Week 5: Fire Safety & Utility
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Week 6: Light Search & Rescue Operations/ Mini- Simulation
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Week 7: Disaster Simulation & Course Review
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Week 8: Graduation
Join CERT
The Office of Emergency Management is always looking for new CERT volunteers! There are three easy steps to becoming a CERT Volunteer:
- Submit an initial application*
- Attend a new CERT volunteer training session
- Start volunteering!
*Signing up for the initial application does not register you in the next CERT training session.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
If you are interested in other ways to be involved in the Evanston Community, we recommend these other fantastic volunteer opportunities:
- Citizen Fire Academy with the Evanston Fire Department
- Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) with the Health and Human Service Department
- Community Police Academy with the Evanston Police Department
- Others
Contact Information
Division Chief Kimberly Kull, M.S.
Office of Emergency Management
847-866-5922
kkull@cityofevanston.org