San Diego Offers Free Emergency Response Training

When disaster strikes, the difference between chaos and recovery often comes down to trained volunteers who know exactly what to do.

San Diego County Fire Community Emergency Response Team is offering free training this August to prepare everyday people for emergency situations like wildfires and natural disasters. The hybrid course combines online learning with two in-person sessions at Ramona Community Library on August 1 and 8.

Volunteers learn critical skills including disaster medical operations, fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster psychology. After completing the coursework and a disaster simulation, participants join one of the county's most active emergency teams.

The program has real impact. Since 2016, the San Diego team has responded to 17 disaster deployments across the region and beyond.

Their biggest mission came after the Camp Fire devastated Paradise, California in 2018. Volunteers spent six weeks helping the American Red Cross, supporting animal shelters, and distributing essential supplies to families who lost everything.

"We've set up points of distribution during public safety power shutoff events," said Teresa Greenhalgh, SDCF CERT Coordinator. "We were handing out water and blankets."

The instructors bring serious expertise. Dr. Bill Leininger, a medical doctor, and Darren Greenhalgh, a licensed civil engineer, will teach alongside Teresa Greenhalgh.

The Ripple Effect

Every person trained creates a ripple of safety through their community. When volunteers learn emergency response skills, they become the crucial bridge between disaster striking and professional help arriving. They're the neighbors who can stabilize injuries, coordinate evacuations, and bring calm to chaos.

The team serves San Diego's backcountry communities, covering vast areas where immediate help might take time to arrive. In those critical first hours, trained community members become lifelines.

Pre-registration is required to receive the online training link. Interested volunteers can contact Teresa Greenhalgh at 619-857-8050 or Teresa.Greenhalgh@sdcounty.ca.gov.

In a world of increasing natural disasters, these volunteers are proof that everyday heroes are made, not born.