Hamilton County Emergency Management (HCEM) volunteer programs are designed to be long-term opportunities to help further HCEM's mission to provide support to plan, prepare, mitigate, respond, and recover from natural, human-caused, and accidental hazards.
The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is an all-volunteer program that trains to be the Help Until Help Arrives in their area. They train in disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and learn basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members are also encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Upon completion of the Basic Course, CERT members are asked to attend monthly meetings and regular training to further their preparedness knowledge.
We have three Basic Courses scheduled for 2026. You can choose the class that works best for your schedule. Each session meets on Friday 7p-9:30p, Saturday 9a-5p, Sunday 9a-5p, and Monday 7p-9:30p.
- January 30 - February 2
- April 24 - 27
- September 11 - 14
All volunteer candidates must be 18 years or older and complete this volunteer application, background check, and training requirements. Once your application is reviewed, a team member will be in contact with you to schedule an interview.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Monica.Peterson@HamiltonCounty.in.gov or Bryan.Kercheval@HamiltonCounty.in.gov.
