The District’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is one of of the best ways you can prepare you and your family for emergencies, while simultaneously being involved in your community, joining an active group of ready-to-help volunteers.
What Do CERT Members Do?
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
The Los Altos Hills County Fire District currently has over 150 trained CERT Members and meets regularly for training, education, and civic event support.
ARK / Emergency Supplies
CERTs also help the District manage, maintain, and operate the ARK. 
The Ark is a stationary command center that contains supplies needed to run crucial operations during a disaster to assist the residents of Los Altos Hills and the surrounding areas. These operations include HAM communications /IT area, Recon teams to assist with information gathering of life safety needs of the community, and medical aid (three critical operations needed during a disaster).
These operations are performed by the Los Altos Hills CERT volunteers. This command center contains vital zone mapping for critical infrastructure in Los Altos Hills, back-up power supply, and water supply.
The District also has two fully functioning mobile trailers with similar functionality as the ARK. These trailers are also run by the Los Altos Hills CERT volunteers when activated.
The District provides funding for all of the supplies as well as a CERT Coordinator who supports the volunteer program. The CERT Coordinator plans and implements disaster drills throughout the year to practice command operations and functionality of the assigned personnel roles within the CERT volunteer program including HAM Radio, critical infrastructure teams, and medical aid operations.
How to Get Certified?
Serving your community as a trained CERT member is a worthwhile endeavor. Before signing up for the training, you must have the prerequisite. Prerequisite: Previously attended a Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) or Sr + Personal Emergency Preparedness (SPEP) class taught by the Los Altos Hills County Fire District / Santa Clara County Fire Department.
If you are interested in becoming a LAHCFD CERT member call 650-949-1044.
