Community Emergency Response Team
The City of Delray Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) organization consists of twenty-two independent community teams that are coordinated through the Fire Department, under the leadership of FireFighter Kenneth Thompson and Lieutenant Curtis Jepsen.
The CERT program has trained approximately three hundred and fifty volunteers, of which one hundred and fifty have graduated from an abbreviated refresher program. The basic course consists of an eight-week program, which covers the following subjects:
- Disaster Preparedness
- Disaster Fire Suppression
- Disaster Psychology and Team Organization
- Disaster Medical Operations (two parts)
- Light Search and Rescue Operations (two parts)
- Disaster Simulation Exercise
Basic equipment is issued to the volunteers, and most communities have augmented their equipment to meet their specific needs, such as Medical, Search and Rescue, and Communications.
Radio equipment is issued to communities prior to a impending hurricane. This radio system puts communities into direct communication with the City of Delray Beach's EOC at Fire Headquarters; thus providing the EOC with rapid impact assessment at the community level.
If you would like to see the locations of our 28 Teams please click on the link below:
If you would like to fill out an application to start the CERT program please fill out the application by clicking the link below:
Contact:
Lt. Curtis Jepsen
jepsen@mydelraybeach.com
(561) 243-7456
