Could You Help Until Help Arrives?

 Simi Valley CERT Training Starts This Week

As National Preparedness Month continues, Simi Valley residents have a timely opportunity to learn practical skills that can help their families, neighbors and community during an emergency.

When a major earthquake, wildfire or other disaster strikes, police, firefighters and paramedics may have more calls than they can immediately reach.

That raises an impo

rtant preparedness question:

Would you know what to do until help arrives?

This week, Simi Valley residents have an opportunity to learn.

The City of Simi Valley Office of Emergency Services begins its fall Community Emergency Response Team — or CERT — training program on Wednesday, September 9. The free program is taught by the Ventura County Fire Department and is designed to help ordinary residents become better prepared to respond during a disaster.

What Is CERT?

CERT is a nationwide emergency-preparedness program supported by FEMA, but the training is very hands-on and locally focused.

Participants learn practical skills including:

• Disaster preparedness

• Fire safety and suppression

• Light search and rescue

• Disaster medical operations

• Team organization

• Disaster psychology

• Terrorism awareness

•  

The goal isn't to turn residents into professional first responders.

It's to give people enough knowledge and training to take care of themselves, help family members and assist neighbors when professional emergency services may not be immediately available.

Simi Valley has offered CERT training for more than 20 years, and more than 1,600 residents have completed the program since it began locally following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Fall Classes Begin September 9

The fall program consists of six consecutive Wednesday evening classes, running September 9 through October 14.

When: Wednesdays, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Where: Simi Valley Emergency Operations Center at the Simi Valley Police Department
Cost: Free

The course concludes with a separate disaster simulation at the Ventura County Fire Department Regional Training Center in Camarillo.

Participants who complete the full course receive a workbook, certificate and CERT starter kit that includes a helmet, work gloves, safety vest, safety goggles and flashlight.

Who Can Participate?

The program is open to people age 12 and older who live or work in Simi Valley.

Participants ages 12–17 can attend with a parent or guardian, making CERT something families with teenagers could even consider doing together.

Space is limited and registration is first-come, first-served.

To register, email:

cert@simivalley.org

Include your name, address, email address and phone number.

Learn more about Simi Valley CERT

Not Ready for CERT? Do One Thing This Week

Preparedness doesn't have to mean enrolling in a six-week course.

If CERT isn't practical for you right now, use this week's Ready Simi Challenge to make one small improvement at home.

Choose one:

✓ Find your home's main gas, water and electrical shutoffs

✓ Make sure everyone in your household knows where your emergency supplies are

✓ Put sturdy shoes and a flashlight beside your bed

✓ Check the expiration dates on your first-aid supplies

✓ Talk with one neighbor about how you could help each other during an emergency

Those are simple steps, but during a real emergency, knowing what to do can matter just as much as what you've purchased.

One More Deadline This Week

Ventura County is also updating its 2027 Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan, which helps local governments identify threats, vulnerabilities and projects that could reduce the effects of future disasters.

Residents and local businesses are being asked to share which risks concern them most, including wildfires, earthquakes and flooding.

The public survey closes September 15, 2026.

Learn more and take the Hazard Mitigation Survey

Coming Next in Ready Simi

Next week, we'll move from training to supplies:

What should actually be in a Simi Valley emergency kit and go-bag?

We'll focus on what you realistically need for our most likely emergencies — including evacuation, earthquakes and power outages — and we'll make sure pets aren't forgotten.

You don't have to prepare for everything at once.

One skill, one conversation and one small step at a time can leave your household much better prepared when something unexpected happens.