Serving Your Community as Part of a Community Emergency Response Team

For some reading this blog, this may be the first time you’ve heard or seen the term Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).

What is or isn’t a CERT?
CERTs are groups of trained volunteers who help their communities before, during, and after disasters or emergencies. CERTs are about empowerment, not expertise, giving everyday people the knowledge, tools, and confidence to take action when it matters most. Here are a few examples of the work they do to strengthen communities: 

• Support first responders by assisting with light search and rescue, first aid, and basic disaster response.
• Prepare neighborhoods by teaching readiness skills and helping others create emergency plans.
• Strengthen communication and coordination among residents, organizations, and emergency management teams.
• Build trust and resilience by connecting people who care about safety, service, and their community’s well-being.
• Include everyone — regardless of age, background, or professional experience — because everyone has something to contribute.

CERTs aren’t replacements for professional emergency services. They don’t replace firefighters, police officers, paramedics, or emergency management personnel; they complement them.

Think of CERTs as neighbors helping neighbors. These local teams act as a bridge between communities and first responders, ensuring that help and communication flow where they’re needed most. They are clear examples of moving from waiting for help to being ready to help.

Renée Isrel, a consultant working with the Community Preparedness, Recovery, and Resiliency initiative, had the pleasure of attending the 2025 Florida CERT Conference in Cape Coral in the fall and shared, ”The overarching message of the conference was clear: empowering individuals and CERT teams with skills, knowledge, and resilience is vital to building stronger, safer communities. I left Cape Coral inspired, better equipped, and more committed than ever to the mission of strengthening our local CERTs.”

Resilience is the focus of The Patterson Foundation’s inaugural 2026 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Summit. If you are curious to know what a CERT is all about and how you can support your neighborhood in times of disasters, we encourage you to join us for the 2026 CERT Summit on Thursday, January 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at The Ora Event Center -- 578 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232. Register here. 

Whether invested in children, education, animals, real estate, tourism, etc., disasters hold no boundaries in how they affect a community. Learn more about The Patterson Foundation’s commitment to optimizing efforts toward long-term impact in the disaster space by watching this 21-minute podcast.