photo by: Douglas County

Douglas County Emergency Management is accepting registrations for its safety training course, which is meant to teach people what to do during or after a disaster.

The department’s Fall 2025 CERT – Community Emergency Response Team – weekend class will run from Friday, Oct. 3, to Sunday, Oct. 5, at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Flory Meeting Hall, 2120 Harper St. The course teaches about disaster preparedness, fire safety, medical operations, light search and rescue, terrorism and more. Here is the schedule participants will have for the weekend program:

• Friday, Oct. 3, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. — The program kicks off with an introduction to CERT, local disaster risks and personal preparedness, including building emergency kits and understanding volunteer responsibilities.

• Saturday, Oct. 4, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. — A full day of hands-on training covers medical operations, search and rescue, pet response and fire safety. A lunchtime session will include a presentation on terrorism. Lunch will be provided.

• Sunday, Oct. 5, from 12:30 to 4 p.m. – Participants will take part in a skills assessment and receive a disaster psychology briefing. Certificates of completion and training materials on flash drives will be distributed.

Upon completing the program, individuals will have the opportunity to become CERT volunteers — trained community members who support first responders and other agencies during disasters and at community events, as directed by Emergency Management.

Those interested in learning more about the weekend program or with additional questions can contact Emergency Management at dgcoks.gov/emergency-management/contact. The training is free, and anyone over the age of 18 is invited to register on the county’s website.