Hillsborough resident Matt Gibson is prepared to help our community in an emergency, and you can prepare, too. Sign up for Community Emergency Response Team training offered this spring in Hillsborough.

As a member of the team, Gibson has volunteered for several assignments, including serving in the first aid tent at Hog Day, helping set up an emergency shelter at Smith Middle School and assisting with traffic control at the Hillsborough Holiday Parade.

With a full-time job outside an emergency services field, being an active CERT member has been a way for Gibson to be involved in emergency work and support the community without changing careers. He encourages everyone to take the training. 

The most important thing is getting people ready. If you’re not ready to help yourself and your family, then you’re not going to be ready to help others,” he said. “Even if you’re just trained in your neighborhood, that’s a huge help.”

Get Trained

The CERT training includes basic skills that enable community members to provide immediate help before emergency crews arrive.

The course covers:

• Disaster preparedness and team organization
• Disaster fire suppression
• Disaster medical operations
• CPR and first aid
• Light search and rescue operations
• Disaster psychology
• Terrorism

The training is offered 6 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays at the Orange County Emergency Operations Center, 510 Meadowlands Drive.

Registration is open for both sessions. The spring course is April 8 to June 3. The fall course is Sept. 2 to Oct. 28.

Learn more about the program on Orange County’s CERT Program page.

Have questions about the program? Use the county’s contact form to reach Orange County Emergency Services.