The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program educates volunteers about disaster preparedness for the hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. CERT offers a consistent, nationwide approach to volunteer training and organization that professional responders can rely on during disaster situations, which allows them to focus on more complex tasks. Through CERT, the capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters is built and enhanced.

In Arcata, CERT operates under the authority of the Arcata Police Department, and works in cooperation with the Humboldt CERT Coalition and the Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services.

This website serves as both a source of information for the greater community about disaster preparedness and an intranet for Arcata CERT members and affiliates to facilitate their communication, collaboration, planning, and skills development.