Get Involved
It takes a whole community working together to recover from disaster. Having some basic training and skills before a disaster strikes can help you take the necessary actions to help yourself, your loved ones, and even nearby strangers until professional responders arrive.
Volunteer opportunities include:
- Community Emergency Response Teams (see information below)
- Fire Corps
For more volunteer opportunities in your neighborhood, contact your local emergency manager.
CERT: Community Emergency Response Teams
CERT training takes about 20 to 24 hours to complete, and includes topics such as disaster preparedness, fire safety, triage and treatment of life-threatening injuries, light search and rescue, team organization, disaster psychology and terrorism.
Fourteen CERTs currently operate in the eight-county, bistate region — four on the Kansas side of the metropolitan area and 10 in Missouri. For more information about CERT opportunities, contact your local emergency management department or visit www.citizencorps.gov/cert.
Metro Area CERTs:
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CERT Resources
A CERT Rodeo is an opportunity to bring a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members or multiple CERT Teams together for additional training or hands-on practice of new or existing skills. It is also an important opportunity for CERT members to network, test equipment and remain active during non-disaster times. Rodeos give CERT Teams the chance to have fun and enjoy the camaraderie and friendship that comes from working alongside individuals who share a common interest and goal.
A CERT Rodeo can be as small and simple or as large and complex as you care to make it. You can offer advanced classes, work on the skills learned in the basic CERT course, meet for some friendly competition or do a combination of all of the above. Download the “CERT Rodeo in a Box: A guide to planning and hosting your own CERT Rodeo” PDF Manual»