The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact ... their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects in their community. The City of Allen started its CERT training and responder programs in 2006. The Allen CERT training program incorporates a combination of dedicated volunteer citizens and Allen Fire-Rescue firefighter/paramedic personnel as CERT training program instructors. The program is managed and dispatched under the auspices of the Battalion Chiefs in the Operations department and has over 100 trained citizen volunteers. read more