To help survivors of recent disasters donate to the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund
Alabama Governor's Office of Volunteer Services
INCREASING THE ETHIC OF SERVICE AND VOLUNTEERISM ACROSS ALABAMA
Disaster Preparedness Training
Listed in this calendar are public training opportunities.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
CERT Train-the-Trainer P-2060
Course Overview: The purpose of this Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train-the-Trainer (T-T-T) Course is to get skilled instructors for the CERT Basic Training Course.
-
A skilled CERT instructor gives the CERT Basic Training Course correctly, explaining the messages and intent of the CERT Program (e.g., safety, teamwork, and place in overall community emergency operations plan).
-
A skilled instructor makes sure that students complete the objectives of the CERT Basic Training Course.
-
A skilled CERT instructor gives training effectively and at the right level, helping students to learn and correctly apply skillsets.
-
A skilled instructor creates a comfortable yet managed learning environment.
Overall Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, participants should be able to:
-
Show knowledge of the CERT Basic Training Course.
-
Show the ability to present an assigned part of the CERT Basic Training Course (teach-back).
-
Explain the core values of the program.
-
Show classroom management techniques.
-
Show effective teaching techniques.
-
Model appropriate behavior as an instructor. In addition to the overall course objectives listed above, each unit has specific objectives.
Target Audience: The target audience for this course includes the following:
-
People who will serve as the course manager for the CERT Basic Training Course. This course manager would have the power to name instructors to teach selected units.
-
People who will be CERT Basic Training Course instructors in any way.
Note: Those who teach only one or two of the units may do so without taking the CERT T-T-T Course. However, the CERT T-T-T Course would give them a needed overview of the CERT Basic Training Course as well as improve their teaching skills.
Prerequisites:
-
A referral from a CERT sponsoring agency. (i.e., local, regional, or state government agency)
-
Earlier completion of the CERT Basic Training Course; and (if necessary)
-
Approval from the state CERT coordinating agency if that agency sponsors the CERT T-T-T Course.
* The Governor's Office of Volunteer Services (GOVS) is the Alabama State CERT coordinating agency.
Local CERT Trainings
Coffee County CERT meets on the 4th Thursday of every month (except November/December) at the Enterprise Rescue Squad, 519 E. Lee Street, Enterprise. For more information contact: Scotty Johnson, (334) 806-1994, coffeecocertcoord@hotmail.com
FEMA offers virtual CERT training. See below for details.
G288: Local Volunteer and Donations Management Training
The Governor's Office of Volunteer Services will host G288: Local Volunteer and Donations Management Training. The G288: Local Volunteer and Donations Management Course is a 1 ½ day training designed to strengthen the abilities of local jurisdictions to successfully prepare for and handle volunteer and donations management issues that arise.
Course Goal:
To provide local emergency management personnel and voluntary agency representatives with the knowledge and skills necessary to develop and execute an effective volunteer and donations management program as well as develop a volunteer and donations management support annex
Course Objectives:
-
Identify key organizations and individuals who have a role in managing unaffiliated volunteers, unsolicited goods, and undesignated cash donations in disasters.
-
Identify specific agencies and organizations and how they collaborate to form a Volunteer and Donations Coordination Team (VDCT).
-
Develop an effective public education and information structure to support the successful management of unaffiliated volunteers, unsolicited goods, and undesignated cash donations.
-
Identify how to effectively manage the surge of unsolicited goods.
-
Gather information from organizations, agencies, volunteers, media, and others for donations intelligence purposes.
-
Facilitate the matching of unaffiliated volunteers with appropriate organizations or agencies during program implementation.
-
List the planning considerations for cash donations.
-
Incorporate technology needed to successfully manage information on unaffiliated volunteers and unsolicited goods.
-
Relate volunteer and donations management program responsibilities to the planning components of the annex.
Target Audience:
-
County Emergency Management Agency personnel
-
Local government officials
-
Local volunteer and donations management coordinators
-
Key VOAD members who play a role in volunteer and donations management
Course Dates and Locations
Volunteer Reception Center (VRC) Training
Training attendees will gain the skills to establish a local Volunteer Reception Center (VRC). VRC Training will prepare participants to staff VRCs that will register and place spontaneous volunteers in times of disaster. These centers ensure that volunteers are given meaningful and constructive opportunities to satisfy their desire to assist in a time of need, while not overwhelming the affected community during the disaster response and recovery process. The training includes an interactive VRC exercise where participants experience the VRC model and practice managing spontaneous volunteers.
Course Dates and Locations
FEMA Trainings
FEMA's Youth Preparedness Council (YPC)
FEMA Advisory - August 1, 2025 - FEMA is drawing the national Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) 2024-2025 program year to an early close. In addition, FEMA is pausing the council and will not recruit for the national YPC until further notice. This year’s members have proven themselves to be exemplary ambassadors of preparedness in their communities across the nation. We thank them for their participation and wish them luck in their burgeoning careers. FEMA Advisory FEMA Ends Youth Preparedness Council Program (August 1, 2025
K0289 State Volunteer and Donations Management (Virtual Delivery)
Course Description: Teaches the components of a volunteer and donations management program to be administered at the state level during a large-scale disaster. Course participants will be equipped to prepare a program for their state to effectively manage unaffiliated volunteers, unsolicited donations of goods, and offers of undesignated cash.
• July 14 - 18, 2025 Register at EMI
Target Audience:
• State Volunteer/Donations Coordinator
• State Coordinator’s Alternate
• Leading stakeholders of statewide voluntary organizations
• State Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) Chair or Designee
• Public Information Officer or Liaison
• Program Functional Leads (e.g., Warehousing, Phone Bank)
• FEMA Human Services staff (e.g., Voluntary Agency Liaison, Donations Specialist)
• Government-Private Sector Liaison
• Others to include Federal, state, territorial, and tribal emergency management personnel
K0427 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program Manager (Virtual Delivery)
Course Description: Prepares participants to establish and sustain an active local CERT Program. Learn more
• August 12 - 15, 2025 Register at EMI
Target Audience: Professionals and volunteers who are designated to be or are interested in being appointed a local CERT Program Manager, or for those already in a CERT Program Manager position.
K0428 Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train-the-Trainer (Virtual Delivery)
Course Description: Prepares participants to deliver the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Basic Training course. Learn More
• July 8 - 17, 2025 Register at EMI
• September 9 - 18, 2025 Register at EMI
Target Audience: Individuals who will have or currently have either of the following responsibilities: Serves as the Course Manager for the CERT Basic Training course or serves as a CERT Basic Training course instructor.
Learn more about CERT: CERT Home | Ready.gov (fema.gov)
Visit FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) for information on training opportunities and course offerings.