Salem, Oregon – When a major disaster hits, professional responders cannot be everywhere at once. In those first critical minutes and hours, the person offering help may be a neighbor who already knows what to do.
That idea is at the center of National Community Emergency Response Team Week, observed Sept. 20–26, 2026. This year carries extra meaning as CERT marks its 40th anniversary under the theme “Carrying the Torch: 40 Years & Beyond,” recognizing decades of volunteer service while encouraging a new generation to get involved.
The Oregon Department of Emergency Management is joining communities nationwide in highlighting volunteers who train to help themselves, their families and others when emergencies disrupt normal life.
CERT members learn practical disaster-response skills, including fire safety, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue, disaster psychology and team organization. The goal is not to replace professional emergency responders. Instead, trained volunteers can take safe, immediate action while police, firefighters, medical crews and other agencies concentrate on the most urgent life-safety needs.
That principle is summed up in a simple CERT message: “When disaster strikes, you are the help until help arrives.”
Oregon now has more than 50 active CERT programs. Local teams are supported by organizations including emergency management agencies, fire departments, cities and other government partners. Programs can also be created for workplaces, campuses and teenagers, opening several paths for residents to participate.
What CERT volunteers do can vary depending on local needs. Beyond responding during emergencies, members may assist emergency operations centers, help manage traffic or crowds, participate in exercises, support public events and share preparedness information with residents.
Much of the work, however, happens before a disaster.
Volunteers help communities think ahead, practice response plans and encourage households to prepare for periods when normal services may be disrupted. CERT members also promote Oregon’s Be 2 Weeks Ready program, which focuses on helping people become more self-sufficient during emergencies. More than 60 CERT volunteers currently serve as Be 2 Weeks Ready Program Coordinators.
National CERT Week gives Oregon an opportunity to recognize those volunteers while also drawing attention to the value of community-level preparedness.
After four decades, the mission remains straightforward: build communities where people understand local hazards, know their neighbors and have useful skills before an emergency begins.
Oregonians interested in joining that effort can learn more and locate one of the state’s 50-plus active programs through the Oregon OEM Community Emergency Response Team program.
