Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) | UC Santa Barbara

CERT at UCSB aims to provide free training and certifications to students and campus community members in preparation for emergency and disaster situations. We seek to provide free educational resources and classes to students, empowering them to protect themselves and our campus environment from climate-related disasters. We work with the Campus Emergency Manager to hold free quarterly classes, offering volunteer hours on top of the certifications.

Sign Up for Spring Classes!

Spring Classes take place April 27, May 3, and May 4th. Sign up here to attend!

CERTs In Action!

Fire Captain Of Station 17 Demonstrating Cribbing

Station 17 Captain explaining to CERTs the process of Cribbing.

CERTs putting out a fire with a CO2 extinguisher

CERTs are trained to use CO2 extinguishers to put out small fires.

CERTs practicing with Manny the mannequin

CERTs practicing Head-to-Toe Assessments on a mannequin.

Jim Caesar speaking with Fire Station 17

UCSB Campus Emergency Manager, Jim Caesar, debriefing with Fire Station 17

Depiction of the two sides of climate change, renewable energies versus fossil fuels

With the increasing intensity of climate change, our campus community must be equipped with the knowledge and tools to mitigate its impacts. We offer these essential resources at no cost, making them accessible to all students and enhancing our collective capacity to face climate hazards.

Our goals include educating students on disaster preparedness and climate resilience, offering hands-on training for emergency response, and building a stronger, informed campus community through regular outreach and engagement. By providing this service, we aim to create a safer, more resilient environment for UCSB in the face of future challenges.

Ultimately, we aim to do the greatest good for the greatest number, to help UCSB mitigate, prepare, respond, and recover from disaster, and to assist campus, local, state, and national emergency response organizations in their aims.

Interest Form

Want to become a CERT but missed this quarter's class? Sign up here to be sent an email for next quarter's classes!

Collaborations and Volunteering

Does your campus organization or club want to collaborate with CERT? Want to volunteer as a live victim during our live drill? Email our president Abby at abigailsamantha@ucsb.edu

Become a trainer!

Want to become a CERT Trainer? After completing the main class, attend Train-the-Trainer sessions and become certified to teach the class! Certification is free and takes place on campus, in the quarter following your completion of CERT class. Sign up here to become a trainer!