Sheriff's Office

For Immediate Release

Call for Community Volunteers to Apply for the Sheriff's Citizen Corps Academy starting July 21st

The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps is offering an emergency preparedness and response training academy beginning July 21, 2022. The training is free, and trainees are not required to become a Citizen Corps volunteer to participate.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Academy provides residents with the information they need to help save lives and reduce trauma in the event of an emergency. CERT Academy training includes disaster preparedness, emergency medical techniques, fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster psychology, and terrorism awareness education.

CERT is more than emergency response; CERT is about community outreach, education, and the building up and protecting of our community. This happens in many ways: providing traffic control, staffing first aid booths, or helping at special events, such as the Reno Air Races, Reno Rodeo, Reno Balloon Races, and Community Safety Day to name a few and the list goes on and on.

The CERT Academy offers six training sessions over two consecutive weekends, all sessions must be completed to graduate. Training is conducted by Citizen Corps staff and volunteers along with appropriate subject matter experts.

Academy dates are:

Thursday, July 21, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, July 22, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.,

and Saturday, July 23, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

and

Thursday, July 28, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday, July 29, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

and Saturday, July 30, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

This training takes place at the Regional Public Safety Training Center located at 5190 Spectrum Blvd.

No special skills are required.  Teens 16-17 years old may participate with parent’s permission. To sign up for training, call CERT Program Manager Joe Olaciregui at (775) 325-6927 or email: WCSOCERT@washoecounty.us

Approximately 260 volunteers currently serve in the Sheriff’s Office Citizen Corps. The Corps consists of three teams: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Rail Auxiliary Team (also known as the RAT Pack), and Citizens Homeland Security Council (CHSC).

The Community Emergency Response Team program is made possible by grants awarded by the Nevada Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management from the Homeland Security Grant Program. These funds make it possible to implement and support all of the Sheriff’s Office volunteer Citizen Corps Programs. 

For more information about the Washoe County Citizen Corps, visit www.washoecert.org 

The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.

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