The purpose of the Cachagua Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program is to educate, train, and prepare local residents to effectively respond to disasters within the community.  CERT members will work within the Incident Command System as an auxiliary arm of Cachagua Fire as first responders to major disasters.

CERT members will be trained in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, property protection, and medical operations.  Utilizing this training, CERT members will assist others in their neighborhood, enclave or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. Utilizing local knowledge, CERT members will assist professional responders with prioritization and allocation of resources following a disaster.

During times of emergency, CERT members deploy within the Cachagua community to gather information, identify locations and extent of damage or other potential problems, and assist residents with immediate needs.  Information and assessment data will be used to establish priorities and make decisions about how CERT members will respond.