AUSTIN (KXAN) — When disaster strikes, first responders and their resources can become stretched thin. A new pilot program could help alleviate that pressure through community volunteer efforts.
During a severe storm at the end of May, the Austin Fire Department responded to more than 700 emergency calls during the first hours of the severe weather. One person died and others were injured in a series of water rescues during those storms.
Agencies hope a new pilot program that trains volunteers in emergency preparedness and response will ultimately save lives.
The city of Austin’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) said it’s launching the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) pilot program this summer.
CERT programs offer volunteer training that first responders can rely on during disasters, according to HSEM. These programs are in all 50 states and have expanded to include specialized programs for teenagers, college campuses and workplaces.
The three Austin CERT basic courses this summer will focus on fire safety, light search and rescue, disaster medical operations, shelter management, team organization and disaster preparedness.
People who complete the course and training exercise will receive a certificate and CERT kit, which includes a number of preparedness and response tools and items, and a CERT helmet and vest to identify volunteers on-site during response activities, according to HSEM.
The launch of the CERT pilot was made possible through a grant, originally written and submitted by HSEM staffer Cindy Hood. HSEM said Hood died after a battle with cancer, and the pilot program is dedicated in her memory.
CERT courses being offered in Austin
CERT classes will be offered three times this summer as part of the pilot program. Details can be found at ReadyCentralTexas.org.
The basic classes include 24 hours of instruction over multiple days. HSEM asks that people only sign up if they can commit to finishing the course. Registrants must have a FEMA Student Identification Number (FEMA SID). If you don’t already have one, you can register to get a FEMA SID online.
June 27-29, 2025
Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Register HERE
July 28-31, 2025
Monday-Thursday, 1-7 p.m.
Register HERE
August 15-17, 2025
Friday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Register HERE
HSEM said participants who complete the courses and exercises will get a certificate and CERT kit, which includes preparedness and response tools, a CERT helmet and a volunteer vest to be worn during response activities.
Although not required, HSEM said students are encouraged to take the free, online FEMA Independent Study IS-317: Introduction to CERT course, which will provide some more background to CERT and examples of what CERT volunteers can do during emergencies, HSEM said.
First responder agencies’ struggles with staffing rates over the years
Local first responder agencies have been facing struggles with staffing for the last several years.
Some Austin-area first responder agencies have reported this year that they’re finally slowly recovering from staffing shortages.
The Austin Police Department’s new chief, Lisa Davis, told KXAN in April that things were going in the right direction in terms of staffing, and she expected vacancy rates to drop significantly over the next few years. A city audit released that month tracked vacancy rates and strategies from 2020 through 2024. During that time, the vacancy rate increased from 7.4% to 18%. Davis said she expected vacancy rates to drop significantly over the next few years.
Austin-Travis County EMS Chief of Staff Wesley Hopkins also told KXAN in April that vacancy rates within that department were the best they’ve been in years.
However, later that month, in a document obtained by KXAN, ATCEMS Chief Robert Luckritz said that the agency continues “to innovate and challenge the status quo of EMS deployment” but that its current mode of operations are “not sustainable.”
“The department has become increasingly dependent on the use of overtime, on-call pay, and calling employees into work on their days off. As the department approaches full staffing, this model is not sustainable,” he wrote.
In the document, he said that a temporary program would be piloted to alleviate pressure on emergency services. The program had ATCEMS start using more “single paramedic responder vehicles” instead of ambulances on most calls. Single responder vehicles are faster than an ambulance, but can’t transport patients.
“I am excited to see Austin HSEM offering advanced emergency preparedness training like CERT to the public,” HSEM Director Jim Redick said in a press release. “A prepared community is a resilient community. CERT is another way for us to connect with the public and help them ready themselves and their neighborhoods for disaster.”