Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Be Ready - Be Trained
And Help Your Community in Emergencies!
Are you interested in learning more about personal emergency preparedness for yourself, family, neighbors, nonprofit, faith-based organization, school, campus, or workplace?
CERT Training Teaches You How to Prepare for a Disaster!
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs provide free training to help individuals and communities prepare for and respond to emergencies and disasters. CERT training equips Tennesseans with essential life‑saving skills to care for themselves and neighbors until emergency services arrive. When sponsored by a local government agency or recognized organization, CERT‑trained volunteers may also assist local authorities when emergency response resources are overwhelmed following a major disaster.
What CERT Volunteers Do
Before, during, and after emergencies, CERT volunteers may assist by:
· Ensuring personal and family safety
· Checking on neighbors and community members
· Sharing preparedness information
· Supporting emergency operations centers
· Assisting with light debris removal
· Helping manage volunteers, donations, traffic, and crowds
Want to Start a CERT Program?
Many Tennessee communities and organizations have adopted CERT as a core emergency preparedness initiative to strengthen local resilience and self-reliance. Volunteer Tennessee provides guidance and acts as a State liaison for locally led CERT programs in Tennessee. For detailed information about establishing a local CERT program for your community, workplace, or organization, please download the Volunteer Tennessee - Resource Guide to Starting or Revitalizing a Local CERT Program in Tennessee, or if you would like additional information about starting a CERT program, please contact don.sowers@tn.gov.
CERT Training Overview
CERT training is offered FREE to the community. It can include either in-person or via on-line hybrid CERT classes and a hands-on skills session. CERT emergency preparedness instruction addresses:
o DisasterPreparedness
o Terrorism Awareness
o Fire Safety
o Disaster Medical Operations
o Light Search and Rescue
o Disaster Communications
o Team Organization
o Disaster Simulation
Learn More or Get Involved
To learn more about emergency preparedness for yourself, your organization, or your community, please see the following list of CERT Programs in Tennessee or Contact your local Emergency Management Agency. However, if a local CERT Basic course is not currently offered in your area, nearby programs often allow participants from neighboring counties.
Local CERT Programs Contacts List
The following list shows locally based CERT programs in Tennessee. For more information about a specific CERT program, please visit their linked webpage or contact them via their email link below. If you find that a CERT Basic course is not currently available in your area, often a neighboring CERT program will let you attend one of their upcoming courses. If there is no CERT program in your county yet, this link to a Tennessee Emergency
Management Agency (TEMA) webpage has regional contact info to county-level Emergency Management Agencies.
- 2Serve Disaster Preparedness -Throughout TN - Teen - Campus CERT - email
- Advent CERT & Disaster Services - Cannon Co. - Faith-based CERT - email
- Anderson County EMA - CERT - Anderson Co. - email
- Arlington Fire Dept. CERT - Uses Shelby Co. CERT Training - email
- Beacon Academy - CERT - Hamilton Co. - High School - Teen CERT - Email
- Carter County EMA - CERT - Carter Co. - Elizabethton - Email
- City of Bartlett CERT - Uses the Shelby Co. CERT training - email
- Civil Air Patrol - Millington Composite Squadron CERT - Shelby Co. - Workplace CERT - email
- Claiborne County EMA - CERT - email
- Columbia Fire & Rescue - CERT - Maury Co. - email
- Crockett County EMA - CERT - email
- Cumberland County EMA - CERT - email
- Dickson County EMA - CERT - email
- East Tennessee State University (ETSU) - Campus CERT - Washington Co. - Email
- Fayette County EMA - CERT - email
- Germantown CERT - Uses the Shelby Co. CERT training - email
- Greeneville / Greene County OEM - CERT - email
- Henry County EMA - CERT - Email
- Heritage Academy - CERT - High School - Teen CERT - Putnam Co. - Email
- Hickman County EMA - CERT - email
- Houston County EMA -CERT - email
- Knoxville-Knox County EMA - CERT - email
- Laurelbrook Academy CERT - High School - Teen CERT - Rhea County - email
- Lebanon Public Safety CERT Team - Wilson Co. - email
- Lee University Campus CERT - Bradley Co. - email
- Mason Fire Dept. CERT - Tipton Co. - email
- Memphis OEM - CERT - Partners with Shelby Co. for CERT training - Email
- Millington Fire Dept. CERT - Uses the Shelby Co. CERT training - email
- Monroe County EMA CERT - email
- Montgomery County EMA - CERT - email
- Nashville / Davidson County OEM CERT - email
- Oakland TN - CERT - Fayette Co. - email
- Pentecostal Charismatic Churches of North America PCCNA - CERT -Shelby Co. - email
- Roane County EMA - OES CERT - email
- Sevier County EMA - CERT - email
- Shelby County EMA - CERT - email
- Smith County - EARS - CERT - Smith - email
- Southwest Community College - Campus CERT - Shelby Co. - email
- Spring Hill EMA - CERT - Maury & Williamson Co. - email
- Tennessee Disaster Response Team - CERT - Putnam Co. - email
- Tennessee State University - Campus CERT - Davidson Co. - email
- Tipton County EMA - CERT - email
- Upper Cumberland CERT - Putnam Co. - email
- VA - Tennessee Valley Healthcare System - EMRT - Workplace CERT - Rutherford Co. - email
- Vanderbilt University OEM - Campus CERT (Inactive) - Davidson Co. - email
- Washington County/Johnson City CERT - email
- Weakley County EMA - CERT - email
- Williamson County EMA - CERT - email
Useful Links
To learn more about CERT, please see our Volunteer Tennessee - Resource Guide to Starting or Revitalizing a Local CERT Program in Tennessee. It has several hundred links to training resources, numerous videos, and helpful information about starting a CERT program.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Strengthen Preparedness and Resilience
Volunteer Tennessee - Disaster Services
Volunteer Tennessee - Resource Guide to Starting or Revitalizing a Local CERT Program in Tennessee