When a disaster hits Pickens County, the first responders most people will see are not professionals. They will be neighbors. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is the program that trains those neighbors.
Pickens County CERT is launching its first cohort in June 2026, with seven training sessions scheduled across June and early July. The program is hosted and sponsored by Pickens County Emergency Management (PCEM), the agency responsible for emergency response in Pickens County. United Way of Pickens County is supporting the launch with outreach and coordination, helped by a time-limited American Red Cross grant.
The training prepares everyday residents to safely take care of their households, their neighbors, and their workplaces in the hours and days after a major incident, when professional responders may be stretched thin or delayed reaching every neighborhood. CERT is hands-on and covers disaster preparedness, basic disaster medical operations, fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, disaster psychology, and a final scenario exercise.
The training is free, but the commitment is real. All seven sessions are required, and participants may not begin after the first session. Applicants also need to complete two FEMA online courses before training begins, and a background check is required before final acceptance.
Cohort 1 sessions run from June 16 through July 9, 2026, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Applications close June 11. Future cohorts will be scheduled as interest allows.
To learn more or apply, visit uwpickens.org/cert