Del Mar, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach residents are being asked to participate in a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to learn how to care for yourself, your family and your neighbors should a disaster occur and emergency services are overwhelmed. The classes are free and open to all residents or employees of Del Mar, Encinitas, Rancho Santa Fe and Solana Beach who are 18 years or older.

With training and practice and by working as a team, you will be able to do the greatest good for the greatest number of victims after and during a disaster, while protecting yourself from becoming a victim.

Acting as individuals first, then later as members of teams, trained CERT volunteers can fan out within their assigned areas, extinguishing small fires, turning off natural gas inlets to damaged homes, performing light search and rescue, and rendering basic medical treatment. Trained volunteers also offer an important potential workforce to service organizations in non-hazardous functions such as shelter support, crowd control, and evacuation.

Updated Schedule for Spring 2013

The Spring CERT Academy begins on Wednesday evening, April 24, at 6 pm at the Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, Room 120.  Directions: I-5 north to Encinitas Blvd, head east up the hill to Balfour, turn right and then your first left into the complex (1140 Oakcrest Park Drive).  This will be the orientation session. 

On Saturday, April 27, the medical presentation will take place from 9 am until 5 pm at Rancho Santa Fe Fire Station #2 in 4S Ranch at 16930 Four Gee Road.  Directions:  Del Mar Heights Road east to El Camino Real, turn left and go as far as San Dieguito Road, turn right and stay on the road past Fairbanks Ranch to Camino Del Sur, turn left and follow the road to Four Gee Road which is just short of reaching Rancho Bernardo. 

The following weeks repeat the cycle: Wednesdays at Encinitas Community Center; Saturdays at Fire Station #2.  The graduation drill will be at Fire Station #2 on Saturday, May 11.

For more information, please contact Joel Carrington at the Del Mar Fire Station (858)755-1522.