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About Us

Northern Sonoma County Community Emergency Response Team (NoSoCoCERT) is a non-profit organization operating in partnership with FEMA. We are sponsored by the Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District and Cloverdale Fire Protection District. 

The CERT concept was developed in 1985 by the Los Angeles City Fire Department and became a national program in 1993. Northern Sonoma County CERT was established in 2019 and has trained more than 180 volunteers in emergency preparedness and response. The actions of our CERT members can make a real difference. 

“During a disaster, and specifically during long-term disasters such as an earthquake, flood, or heat wave, there are not enough first responders to help everyone at once. CERT can fill the role of neighbor helping neighbor or another community so first responders can focus on mitigating lifesaving emergencies.”

Fire Chief/ Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville–Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District/Cal Fire
Three people wearing Community Emergency Response Team vests and two Cloverdale fireman demonstrate emergency first aid on a willing volunteer, who is lying on the pavement next to a car as if in an automobile accident.

Sonoma County residents who are interested in becoming CERT trained are encouraged to contact us with questions and to register for an upcoming class. For information on becoming certified, see Training and Certification (click here).

Northern Sonoma County CERT also trains teen volunteers. We introduced CERT as an extra-curricular program at Cloverdale High School in 2019, and in 2020 and 2021, at Windsor High School. The following year, Windsor High School adopted a combined CERT and Santa Rosa Junior College EMR class for both high school graduation credit and college credit. Windsor seniors who complete this program graduate with both the CERT and EMR credentials, thus putting them in an advantageous position for first responder careers. 

In addition to training and certifying volunteers in life-saving skills, Northern Sonoma County CERT hosts and attends events to help inform the public about potential local disasters, such as wildfires and earthquakes. In 2020, we co-hosted the first annual Fire and Earthquake Safety Expo.

Through public and private partnerships, we have secured grant funding for: 

  • Vegetation management
  • A generator for Cloverdale Citrus Fairgrounds Emergency Shelter 
  • A fire camera and radio repeater tower 
  • Equipment and emergency supplies to serve the community in the event of disasters, including a fire engine, equipment trailer, solar charging station, and more.
A modern red fire engine displays a large banner at the top, which says, "Join Now! CERT Community Emergency Response Team."
Gear in a trailer and laid out on a table outside during an expo is "gear issued to CERT volunteers either for their use or to support EMT's and First Responders during 'Mass Casualty Incidents'" and includes blankets, fire extinguishers and first aid equipment. (Quote taken from the banner attached to the trailer.)
Wooden shelves on a plywood floor hold emergency equipment inside a metal-sided trailer.
Solar panels are attached to a trailer for easy transport. A box at the front of the trailer says SkyCharger (which is a company that provides mobile charging for electric vehicles and accessories). A fat pole rises from the box and has several circular attachments at the top.

As a non-profit organization, CERT’s funding is through grants and donations, and occasional fundraising activities. Thankfully to these avenues, we have been able to secure equipment to support first responders and the broader community.  We have provided free CERT backpacks to students and those who cannot afford the $75 cost of the equipment. The funding has also provided free CERT basic and advanced training throughout Sonoma County, helping set up CERT teams in Bodega Bay, Cazadero, Geyserville, and Cloverdale. Because of your generous donations we have been able to prepare for different hazards and emergencies and make our County and communities safer. Please consider donating to help us help Sonoma County or send us an email to learn more.

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