The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), using the model created by the Los Angles City Fire Department, began promoting nationwide use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994.  Since then, CERTs have been established in hundreds of communities.  The Hickman County Emergency Management Agency is now offering CERT training as a partnering effort between emergency service providers and the people they serve.  Our goal is for emergency personnel to train citizens in our community in basic preparedness and response skills.
If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays our community's professional response, citizens can better protect themselves by applying and response and organizational skills that they learned during training.  These skills can help save and sustain their lives following a disaster until help arrives.  CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies.