Bainbridge Island CERT

Join your neighbors and become an emergency volunteer as a member of the Bainbridge Island Community Emergency Response Team (Also known as “CERT” for short). As the video above explains, the CERT program teaches citizens basic emergency skills and educates them to effectively respond to disasters as a part of a team. The program has been established in all 50 states with over 600,000 CERT members nationwide.

CERT training is designed to prepare you to help yourself, your family, and your neighbors, in the event of a disaster. Because emergency services personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you can help to make a difference using CERT training to save lives and protect property.

What does CERT training include?

CERT training covers basic skills that are important to know in a disaster when emergency services are not available. This training offers the ability to guide CERT members to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people, both during and after a disaster, while protecting yourself from harm.

The CERT program provides an effective community first response capability to our community. Acting as individuals first, then as members of a team, trained CERT volunteers can assess assigned areas, extinguish small fires, turn off natural gas inlets to damaged homes, performing light search and rescue, and render basic medical treatment to those in need. Trained volunteers also offer an important potential workforce to service organizations in non-hazardous functions, such as shelter support, crowd control, and evacuation events.

Additional CERT Related Videos

Nationwide CERT Overview

CERT is a Nationwide Program – See CERT how 600,000 CERT members serve their communities in all 50 states. The CERT program is based up

PBS Documentary: Earthquake Risks for Pacific Northwest Residents

This PBS Documentary explains the earthquake risk for residents of the Pacific Northwest. This is one of the emergencies that CERT members are trained to respond to.

Bainbridge Island Post-Earthquake: Mass Casualty Training Exercise

What do you do when you have 1,000 injured residents on Bainbridge Island after an earthquake when the ferry and Agate Pass Bridge are out of service? We rely on neighbors helping neighbors through the Bainbridge Island Disaster Response Hubs. These hubs are staffed by CERT and other Bainbridge Prepare teams. Watch this day simulated training exercise to test our readiness.

Bainbridge Island Post-Earthquake: Reverse Evacuation by Boat Training Exercise

CERT + Flotilla Team Training Exercise: How do we transport first responders and essential city personnel that live off Bainbridge Island on to the island when Ferries and the Agate Pass Bridge are out of service in a post-earthquake situation.

How CERT Training Works

Bainbridge Island CERT is always looking for new volunteers to join the team. Volunteers are required to attend a 24 hour training course – these classes are free to all residents or employees of Bainbridge Island, who are 18 years or older.

The CERT basic training course covers these topics: Disaster Preparedness; Fire Safety and Utility Control (including practicing using a fire extinguisher on a live (controlled) fire); Disaster Medical Operations (i.e. Triage, Treating Burns, Splinting, etc.); Light Search and Rescue Operations; Disaster Psychology; CERT Organization; Terrorism and CERT. These classes are taught by CERT instructors alongside subject matter experts.

CERT Basic classes are held year round on a rolling basis. The training consists of two parts:

Part 1 (Online & Self-Paced): Approximately 19 hours of self-paced online video-based training (start at any time)
Part 2 (In-Person): 5 hours of in-person training (approximately 4 – 6 times per year with new sessions added automatically when we have at least 10 people who’ve completed the online classes)

Refresher trainings cover topics such as: Traffic Control, Grid Search, Fire Rehab, Electrical Safety, Stop the Bleed, Warming/Shelter Fundamentals and more.

How To Register for CERT Training:

Step 1: Fill Out this Online Form

Bainbridge Island Emergency Volunteer Application – Online Form (Start Here)

Note: If you’re already a City of Bainbridge Island Volunteer and have an COBI ID card, you can skip this step. When submitting documents in Step #2, please include a note that you’re already “in the system”.

Step 2: Print Out and Sign These Paper Forms

1) Print & Sign: CERT Volunteer Agreement (Signature Required)Download
2) Print & Sign: CERT Code of Conduct (Signature Required)Download
3) Click & Read: BICERT Standard Operating ProceduresDownload

Step 3: Submit Paper Forms

Submit the BICERT Volunteer Agreement & Code of Conduct Forms in one of two ways:
Option 1: eMail a scanned copy of these forms to cert-leads@bainbridgeprepares.org.

Option 2: US Postal Mail or Drop off these forms to City Hall:
City of Bainbridge Island
Attn: Anne LeSage
280 Madison Ave N
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110

After USPS mailing or dropping off forms at city hall, send an email to cert-leads@bainbridgeprepares.org that you’ve mailed in or dropped off your paper forms so we know to look out for them.

Step 4: Take Online Portion of CERT Training

Within 2 business days of submitting forms, you will receive access to the online self-paced portion of class. If you do not, please email us at cert-leads@bainbridgeprepares.org.

If you have questions, please email us cert-leads@bainbridgeprepares.org.

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