The City of Auburn Emergency Management Office, in conjunction with the White River Valley Citizen Corps Council and the Valley Regional Fire Authority, will offer Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training courses to area residents.
There will be three classes offered this year, one in April, one in August and another in October. Pre-registration is required for all courses and space is limited. There is no fee for the course.
Dates for the classes are: April 5-7 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; the second class will be offered in August though the exact dates have yet to be determined and the third class will be held Thursday evenings beginning Oct. 6 and ending Nov. 10 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. The October/November class has two Saturday morning drills on Oct. 22 and Nov.12 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Class members will be required to provide some basic equipment, such as sturdy shoes or boots and work gloves. Other necessary supplies and equipment will be provided. A complete list of required equipment will be provided upon registration.
For more information or to register, please call 253-876-1925, e-mail emergencyprep@auburnwa.gov or download, fill out, print and send the application from the City’s website.

About CERT training
CERT training is comprised of 20-plus hours of classroom education and hands-on practice in topics including disaster preparedness, emergency management, fire safety/suppression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster communication, disaster psychology, and all-hazards identification and awareness.
Graduates have the opportunity to become registered emergency workers with their respective cities and the state of Washington, allowing them to aid in local and regional disasters. Graduates also have the opportunity to participate in local and regional continuing education activities, including training and field exercises. Courses are taught by fire department staff, emergency management personnel and other subject matter experts from throughout the area.