CERT Train-The-Trainer

This two-day course is for individuals who have attended a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) course and would like to become trainers for their local program. This course is also for those communities and organizations that would like to start a CERT program on their own and need a trainer in order to do so. This course does not take the place of attending the 20 hour CERT program offered at the local level as it does not teach the basic CERT concepts-it is intended that the attendee already know the CERT training and program. CERT Train- the-Trainer is designed for the individual who already has knowledge of the CERT curriculum and needs further instructional knowledge and state certification. The course includes preparation for teach-back to the class as an after-hours homework assignment on Day 1 and delivering teach-back to the group on Day 2. There will be a graded post-test at the end of the course. Course credit will be given to those with a grade above 70 percent.

This course is not a refresher; it’s for individuals who have not previously Attended the CERT train-the-trainer course. Refresher options may be offered in the future.

Course Length: 14 hours

Course Manager: Matthew Raymond

Course Timeline: Day 1: 8:00 am to 3:30 pm; Day 2: 8:00 am to 3:30 pm.

Prerequisite: The course has a minimum of 10 attendees and a maximum of 12 attendees. Attendees must be sponsored by a local entity such as an emergency management agency or other body interested in starting a CERT program or has a CERT program already approved through the FEMA website. Attendees verifying that prerequisites have been met will be approved to register for the course on a first come, first served basis. It is intended that only one to two per program register but if there is additional space needed, those potential attendees will be placed on a wait list for open spots. No walk-in registrations will be admitted to this course. Prior to course registration, the following items need to be submitted to Matthew Raymond at Matthew.Raymond@illinois.gov. 1. Letter/email from unit of government or organization sponsoring the CERT program verifying that the attendee will be instructing this course on behalf of the organization in the future. 2. Attendee will submit a certificate of local CERT class participation, verifying that the 20 hour course has already been completed. In limited circumstances, the FEMA Independent Study (IS) 317 class can substitute for this: however, that should be explained in the letter above why the local class has not been attended. THIS EXCEPTION MUST BE PRE-APPROVED. In addition it is suggested that the FEMA IS 242.b Effective Communication online course might be of value to those attending the CERT train-the trainer program but it is not required. Once these items are received, the attendee will be notified as having met the prerequisites and will be directed to register for the course in the IEMA registration portal.

Target Audience/Discipline: The course is designed for individuals affiliated with a local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) or those that wish to start a CERT program to receive additional instruction to deliver the CERT course at the jurisdiction's level.

Scheduled Classes: There are no scheduled dates for this course.

Please note: Applications for courses will be accepted up to 1 day prior to the course date.

If you want to learn more about the Training Program or are interested in attending a specific course, please contact your IEMA Regional Coordinator or Nancy Buck. Registration should be made in advance to attend any IEMA sponsored class. Walk-in registrations are only accepted if room space and course materials are available. To register for IEMA classes, please see the IEMA Online Registration and Tracking Program Page.