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OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES
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Happy December, Berkeley Ready Community! Tis the season of giving, and we’re excited to offer lots of opportunities to take CERT classes in 2025. We’re offering classes on weekends and evenings, hoping to accommodate lots of schedules.
The first round of classes will be offered from January to April starting with Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness on Saturday, January 11. You can take the whole 7 unit series, or take whatever classes appeal to you most.
We haven’t offered so many classes since before the pandemic! We hope to see many of you in the new year, gaining new skills and connections to help us build a culture of disaster preparedness in Berkeley.
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Mark your calendars for the first round of CERT Classes. Classes are in-person at the Fire Department, Division of Training at 997 Cedar Street. Registration opens one month before the class date.
If you can't make it, please make sure to follow the directions to cancel, as we do have a long waiting list.
Another round of classes will start up again in the April or May, so if you can't take something this round, be on the look out for future dates.
Unit 1: Disaster Preparedness
Unit 2: Cert Organization
Unit 3: Disaster Medical Operations 1
Unit 4: Disaster Medical Operations 2
Unit 5: Disaster Mental Health
Unit 6: Fire Safety and Utilities
Unit 7: Light Search and Rescue
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 Interested in volunteering at a mass care center or shelter during a disaster? Join the City of Berkeley, City of Albany, and American Red Cross for a hands-on disaster shelter training to learn the fundamentals of working and volunteering at a disaster shelter.
Saturday, January 11 from 10 am to 12 pm
Albany Recreation & Community Services
1249 Marin Avenue Albany, CA 94706
In times of disaster, City of Berkeley employees work with Red Cross workers to provide safety, shelter, meals and a caring presence to people who have been evacuated or displaced. By learning to volunteer at a disaster shelter, members of the community like you can provide hope and stability to individuals who need it most, whether it's at an official Red Cross shelter or at unofficial shelters that inevitably pop up.
This training will cover the basics of disaster shelter operations, how shelters are organized, common shelter tasks, and hands-on cot assembly practice.
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 We've already had a number of wet weather days this season, including a flash flood! It's a good time to take some winter weather actions:
- Sign up to join Berkeley's Adopt-A-Storm Drain volunteer program. Volunteers keep their storm drains free of debris, improving the water quality of the Bay and preventing street flooding during storms.
- The City is developing a Stormwater Master Plan. Your input is key to the successful development of the initiative. Share your experience with local flooding, ponding, and drainage issues through our Drainage Hotspot Reporting Survey. Your feedback will directly inform solutions to improve the City's stormwater infrastructure.
- Street flooding, clogged storm drains, sewer overflow, or traffic signal outage? Report it to Public Works: (510) 981-6620.
- Berkeley residents and businesses can prepare themselves and their property from the possibility of wind and water damage during the rainy season. To protect your home or business from flooding the City of Berkeley offers free Sandbags! Sandbags are available at local hardware stores, and for FREE during storm season from the City's Corporation Yard Monday-Friday, 8 am - 4 pm (Berkeley residents and businesses only; bring ID or a business card). Note: you are responsible for sandbag disposal.
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