The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps is offering an emergency preparedness and response training academy beginning July 19.

The training is free and trainees are not required to become a Citizen Corps volunteer to participate.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy provides residents with the information they need to help save lives and reduce trauma in the event of an emergency. CERT Academy training includes disaster preparedness, emergency medical techniques, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism awareness education.

CERT is more than emergency response; CERT is about community outreach, education and the building up and protecting of our community. This happens in all kinds of ways: providing traffic control, staffing first aid booths, or helping at special events.

The CERT Academy offers six training sessions over two consecutive weekends. Training is conducted by Citizen Corps staff and volunteers along with appropriate subject matter experts.

Academy dates are July 19 from 6-9pm, July 20 from 6-9pm, July 21 from 9am-4pm, and July 26 from 6-9pm, July 27 from 6-9pm, and July 28 from 9am-4pm.

All sessions are required to complete the training and receive a certificate. Training takes place at the Regional Public Safety Training Center located at 5190 Spectrum Blvd., Reno.

No special skills are required. Children 12-15 may participate with parent’s supervision, teens 16-17 with parent’s permission. To sign up for training, contact CERT Program Manager Michael Perry at 775.325.6928 or email mperry@washoecounty.us