Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

The Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT, is a national free training program which prepares residents and community members to better prepare themselves, their families, and their neighbors, in the event of a local disaster. CERT Basic Training covers the following course topics Disaster Preparedness, Fire Safety & Utility Controls, Disaster Psychology and Medical Operations, and Light Search and Rescue Operations, and more.

Please fill out this form if you would like to be informed of upcoming CERT Basic Training dates or sign up for Hybrid Training.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Volunteer Within Your Community

The Cape Coral Fire Department Community Services program is a volunteer program that promotes community-wide disaster preparedness skills and actively trains to support first responding and social service agencies through an all-hazards approach. Our volunteer program is divided into six different project areas – Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Fire Corps, Community Engagement, Community Risk Reduction, Education & Training, and Internal Business.

Between the six different areas, we offer opportunities to assist our Public Affairs Specialist with community events, provide administrative support to our Department and City partners, support the City with emergency response related activities, and much more!

Already a volunteer? Sign in HERE.

Upon completion of the CERT Basic Training course, our volunteers are able to support the City and the Department with additional emergency response related activities and our EOC Activations.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Fire Corps is a national grassroots effort to help fire and EMS departments enhance their services by engaging with community members to assist with non-emergency tasks. Whether they are conducting fire prevention and life safety education, installing smoke alarms, or a myriad of other activities, community volunteers can make a real difference. Utilizing community support helps departments increase their capacity and allows first responders to focus on operational duties, training, and emergencies.

Here in Cape Coral, our Fire Corps group supports the Department and community by assisting with the delivery of station and medical supplies to each of our stations every month, supporting the Division of Logistics with Bunker Gear Inspections, and more!

The Community Engagement Group will assist with volunteer engagement opportunities both internally and externally. This group will focus on volunteer recruitment and retention, develop a quarterly newsletter and an annual event calendar, support CCFD Public Affairs special events, and serve as a liaison for external community partners. Volunteers in this group should be personable, creative, and have a passion for volunteerism and the community.

The Community Risk Reduction Group will prioritize the promotion of disaster preparedness and fire prevention throughout the whole community, under the advisement of the Community Risk Reduction Specialist. This group will assist with the development of a local business continuity program, implementation of the Community CPR Program, promotion of MyID, schedule targeted outreach sessions with neighborhoods, businesses, and other local groups, and support other City-wide risk reduction efforts.

The Education & Training Group will assist with the development and ongoing maintenance of a robust training program and an annual training plan. Volunteers will identify training and educational needs, develop position-specific and advanced training modules, recruit internal and external instructors for trainings and exercises, and maintain an instructor cadre.

The Internal Business Support Group will provide general clerical support to designated departments. Volunteer opportunities may include customer support, record keeping, public records filing, data entry, and more. Volunteers will also be involved with the maintenance of the volunteer management software system, Volgistics. Volunteers in this group should be familiar with computers, scanners, MS Word & Excel. Volunteers may be assigned to various departments based on operational needs.

Interested in any of these volunteer opportunities? Please fill out the form below: