CERT Basic Training Classes
Fall 2026 class registration is now OPEN
Basic CERT classes are offered twice each year. These classes are open to residents and employees of the Lamorinda area. This includes the cities of Lafayette and Orinda, the Town of Moraga and the unincorporated areas of Canyon and Briones and that part of Saranap that is not in the Walnut Creek School District. Teenagers age 14-17 are welcome with a parent, guardian or Scout Leader. We do ask for a commitment. That commitment is to attend all the classes in a series including the exercise; to maintain your skills through periodic practice and additional training; and to be ready to help your community in time of disaster. Class series are held each year in Lafayette and/or Orinda. Each series is nine weeks. Eight evenings of approximately 3 hours plus a 4 hour skills exercise.
Residents of El Cerrito, Kensington, and Walnut Creek are welcomed into our classes at the RESIDENT fee of $40.
What is included? The Lamorinda CERT curriculum is based on the FEMA standard CERT curriculum. We localize and enhance it to be appropriate for local residents. Little time is spent talking about hurricanes but we cover earthquake and wildfire preparedness in detail. The subjects covered are: personal and home preparedness for all-hazard emergencies; radio communications; utility, hazardous materials and fire safety; disaster medical response; light search and rescue; Incident Command System; disaster psychology; terrorism; and pet preparedness. We do NOT teach CPR but encourage all to be CPR/AED trained and Stop the Bleed trained.
There is a non-refundable class registration fee. To those who attend the first five classes we will distribute, at no charge, a CERT specific kit of hard to find disaster response medical supply items valued at over $40. A Participant Manual is highly recommended.
Out-of-District Students. Occasionally our classes are not filled with in-district students. If you do not live or work in Lamorinda, you may be able to sign up for one of our class series. To do so, send a request to registrar@lamorindacert.org and ask if there are openings. The cost for an out of district student class fee is $100. This almost covers our out-of-pocket costs per student!
Participant Manual – highly recommended. The manual is approximately 370 pages in length. A printed Participant Manual is available and is highly recommended so you can take notes on images of the PowerPoint slides. It is printed with tab dividers and delivered in a binder with printed cover and spine. The printed manual is offered at our current cost of $35.00. The Participant Manual is also available in .pdf format if you choose to print all 370 plus pages at home.
Scholarships are available to attend the CERT training for high school students in need. Inquire here.
Access and Functional Needs. All presentation materials have been designed to be accessible for low-vision and color blind persons.
Reasonable Accommodation: If you require a reasonable accommodation (sign language interpreters, Braille, CART, etc.), please make the request NLT 30 days prior to the class start date. When making any requests, please provide details on the accommodation; however, DO NOT include medical or other personal information that is protected under the Privacy Act of 1974 or the Health Information Privacy Protection Act No. 1749 Page 2 Thursday, October 20, 2022 (45 CFR Part 160 Subparts A and E of Part 164). Last-minute requests will be accepted; however, they may not be possible to fulfill. Please indicate any requests as part of your registration application. Any additional questions should be directed to the Registrar at: registrar@lamorindacert.org
As with every activity we do in CERT, all times are listed in 24 hour format. 1830 = 6:30 p.m.
Fall 2026 Session –
CLASS REGISTRATION WITHIN LAMORINDA w/Participant's Manual CLASS REGISTRATION WITHIN LAMORINDA CLASS REGISTRATION OUT-OF-DISTRICT W/Participant's Manual CLASS REGISTRATION OUT-OF-DISTRICT
Sessions will be in Elderberry Room
| DATE | UNITS | LOCATION | TIME | INSTRUCTORS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Sept 15, 2026 | Introduction & Preparedness | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Sparks / Merrifield / Combellick / Israel |
| Tuesday, Sept 22, 2026 | CERT Organization & Communications | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Matthews / Seibert |
| Tuesday, Sept 29, 2026 | Fire Safety | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Airola / Dick |
| Tuesday, Oct 6, 2026 | Medical Part I | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Sparks / Lin |
| Tuesday, Oct 13, 2026 | Medical Part II | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Lin / Bontemps |
| Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 | Search & Rescue | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Lipp / Lee |
| Tuesday, Oct 27, 2026 | Cribbing, Pets, Mini-Drill | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | Dick / Seibert |
| Tuesday, Nov 3, 2026 | Exercise | Contra Costa Fire District Training Center | 1800 to 2200 | All instructors |
| Tuesday, Nov 10, 2026 | Psychology, Terrorism & Graduation | Lafayette Community Center | 1830 to 2130 | White / Wilde |
Winter 2027 Session –
CLASS REGISTRATION WITHIN LAMORINDA w/Participant's Manual CLASS REGISTRATION WITHIN LAMORINDA CLASS REGISTRATION OUT-OF-DISTRICT W/Participant's Manual CLASS REGISTRATION OUT-OF-DISTRICT
SUBJECT TO CHANGE – Lectures will be in Casita. Location map of Moraga Hacienda de las Flores The Castia building is at the end of the parking lot.
| DATE | UNITS | LOCATION | TIME | INSTRUCTORS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, Jan 7, 2027 | Introduction & Preparedness | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Sparks / Merrifield / Combellick / Israel |
| Thursday, Jan 14, 2027 | CERT Organization & Communications | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Macler / Matthews / Seibert |
| Thursday, Jan 21, 2027 | Fire Safety | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Airola / Dick |
| Thursday, Jan 28, 2027 | Medical Part I | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Sparks / Lin |
| Thursday, Feb 4, 2027 | Medical Part II | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Merrifield / Sparks / Lin |
| Thursday, Feb 11, 2027 | Search & Rescue | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Lipp / Lee |
| Thursday, Feb 18 2027 | Cribbing, Pets, Mini-Drill | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | Dick / Seibert |
| Thursday, Feb 25, 2027 | Exercise | Contra Costa Fire District Training Center | 1800 to 2200 | All instructors |
| Thursday, Mar 4, 2027 | Psychology, Terrorism & Graduation | Moraga Hacienda | 1830 to 2130 | White / Wilde |
For more information, contact the Registrar.