Neighbors ready to help when it matters most.
Arlington CERT Foundation supports the Community Emergency Response Team — a diverse group of trained volunteers who help our community prepare for, and respond to, emergencies. Training is free and open to everyone who lives or works in Arlington.
A diverse group of prepared neighbors.
Arlington CERT is a volunteer group that works with the County government to help our community prepare for and respond to emergencies. The Foundation exists to keep that training free, our teams equipped, and Arlington ready — block by block.
Prepare
Learn to make a plan, build a kit, and reduce hazards at home — before anything happens.
Respond
Gain hands-on skills to act safely in the first hours of an emergency, when help may be stretched thin.
Support
Join a trained team of neighbors who look out for one another — and support Arlington's first responders.
Real skills, taught by people who use them.
Volunteers receive free training in disaster preparedness, triage, first aid, fire suppression, disaster psychology, terrorism awareness, and more — practical skills you can use for your household and your neighborhood.
Ready to help our own community.
If a major local emergency happens and Arlington CERT is called to help, we reach trained volunteers by phone and email. Until then, members keep their skills sharp through practice and support community preparedness year-round.
You're equipped and connected.
Community members who complete CERT training become volunteers — and get everything they need to serve safely.
Skills that change everything.
CERT training builds practical, hands-on capability across the areas that matter most in the first hours after a disaster.
Disaster Preparedness
Understand local hazards and how to plan for them.
Fire Safety & Suppression
Put out small fires safely and control utilities.
Triage & First Aid
Assess, prioritize, and care for the injured when help is delayed.
Light Search & Rescue
Locate and safely assist trapped or stranded people.
Disaster Psychology
Recognize stress in yourself and others, and respond with care.
Terrorism Awareness
Understand threats and how CERT fits the wider response.
From your first class to your neighborhood team.
Apply for a training
Sign up for a free CERT course. It's open to everyone who lives or works in Arlington — no experience needed.
Learn hands-on
Build real skills across preparedness, fire safety, first aid, search & rescue, and more.
Get equipped
Graduate as a volunteer with your ID badge, vest, backpack, and t-shirt — and join our newsletter.
Stay ready
Hone your skills at exercises, support community preparedness, and answer the call if a major emergency strikes.
Ready when it matters.
Get trained for free, or support the Foundation as a member so training stays free and our teams stay equipped. One simple annual membership — no stored card, no automatic charges.