BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — The City of Boca Raton is still accepting participants for its upcoming Community Emergency Response Team training, a four-week course run by Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services that prepares residents to respond during disasters when emergency crews may be delayed.
The program, known as CERT, begins May 5 and runs through May 28, with classes held twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Training sessions will take place at the city’s training facilities on Congress Avenue and Banyan Trail.
The course is based on federal guidelines developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is designed to give civilians practical skills to handle emergencies at the neighborhood level. In South Florida, where hurricanes and severe weather are routine risks, the training focuses on what residents can do in the first hours or days after a major event.
Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services teaches the program using its own firefighters and paramedics. Over eight sessions totaling 24 hours, participants move through a structured curriculum that covers disaster preparedness, fire suppression, basic medical operations, search and rescue, and incident coordination.
The timeline reflects how disasters unfold locally. Early classes introduce how infrastructure failures affect response times. Later sessions move into hands-on work — using fire extinguishers, conducting basic triage, and stabilizing injured victims. Participants also learn light search-and-rescue techniques, including how to locate and safely remove trapped individuals in low-risk environments.
Fire Rescue officials emphasize a practical reality: during a large-scale disaster, emergency services may not be able to reach every home immediately. Response times can stretch from hours to days depending on the scale of damage and resource availability. CERT training is built around that gap.
The program also includes instruction on disaster psychology and the Incident Command System, the standardized structure used by emergency responders nationwide. That component is intended to help volunteers integrate into organized response efforts without creating confusion on scene.
The final session includes a full-scale disaster simulation and graduation, giving participants a controlled environment to apply what they’ve learned.
Participation is limited to residents of the City of Boca Raton who are at least 16 years old. The course is free, but enrollment requires completion of the city’s volunteer application process before the first class begins. The volunteer status allows participants to be formally recognized within the city’s emergency response framework.
Classes will be held at 6500 Congress Avenue, Suite 200, and at the Fire Training Complex at 800 Banyan Trail. City officials say space remains available, but registration is required in advance.
Residents can sign up through the city’s CERT program page or by contacting the program coordinator directly. Applicants must submit their name, address, phone number, and email, and complete the volunteer onboarding process before being approved to attend.
For Boca Raton residents, the program is positioned as both a personal preparedness measure and a community resource. Participants are trained not only to manage their own households during emergencies but also to assist neighbors until professional responders arrive.
The city continues to promote the program as hurricane season approaches, a period when emergency readiness becomes a priority across Palm Beach County.
Residents considering enrollment are advised to complete registration and volunteer approval as soon as possible to secure a spot before the May 5 start date.
Source: City of Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services CERT Program
Get Boca Raton news and weather updates — local reporting, daily forecasts, and breaking coverage across the area.
