CERT & Neighborhood Teams

Trained Neighbors Are the First Layer of Community Resilience

AFRN helps CERT members, Neighborhood Teams, and local volunteers organize, train, communicate, and support their communities before professional help arrives.

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People First Trained residents are often the first available help after a disaster.
Team Structure Neighborhood teams improve organization, safety, and coordination.
Training Pathways AFRN supports preparedness, CERT, neighborhood, and responder readiness training.
Local Integration Teams connect with Neighborhood Stations, Resilience Centers, and Disaster 360.

Who This Program Supports

AFRN supports the people who help neighborhoods prepare, communicate, organize, and respond safely during emergencies.

CERT Members

Support trained CERT members with coordination, resources, refreshers, and local integration.

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Neighborhood Teams

Help neighborhood groups organize preparedness, communications, check-ins, and local response support

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Block Captains

Support local leaders who help organize households, streets, buildings, and neighborhood groups.

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Community Volunteers

Provide pathways for residents who want to help but may not yet have formal training.

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Preparedness Leaders

Support individuals who lead outreach, planning, training, and community readiness activities.

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Local Partners

Connect volunteers and neighborhood groups with broader preparedness and response systems.

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Neighborhood Readiness

Disasters Are Local First

Neighbors often help neighbors before outside resources arrive.

In the first moments after a disaster, trained residents, CERT members, Neighborhood Teams, and local volunteers can make a major difference. AFRN supports these groups with organization, training pathways, communications planning, preparedness resources, and connections to broader community support systems.

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Training Pathway

From Family Preparedness to Field Coordination

Readiness grows in stages.

AFRN supports a practical pathway that begins with family preparedness, expands to neighborhood planning, continues through CERT and Neighborhood Team training, and connects volunteers with local stations, resilience centers, exercises, and disaster support opportunities.

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Connected Teams

Linking Volunteers With AFRN Programs

Local teams are strongest when they are connected to a larger system.

CERT and Neighborhood Teams can support Neighborhood Stations, Resilience Centers, Mobile Response Units, preparedness events, community check-ins, staging areas, resource coordination, and recovery efforts. Disaster 360 provides the framework that helps align these activities before, during, and after emergencies.

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Neighborhood Stations

AFRN Neighborhood Stations create local access points where communities can organize, train, communicate, and coordinate before, during, and after disasters.

Resilience Centers

AFRN Resilience Centers provide space, resources, training, communications, and coordination to help communities prepare for emergencies and recover after disasters.

Mobile Response Units

AFRN Mobile Response Units bring command, communications, medical, logistics, staging, and responder support capabilities directly into affected communities.

Disaster 360 Initiative

The Disaster 360 Initiative connects preparedness, response, recovery, resilience, and prevention into one coordinated framework for safer communities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does AFRN replace CERT programs?

No. AFRN supports and strengthens community preparedness efforts, including CERT and Neighborhood Team activities, but does not replace local programs or public safety agencies.

Can I participate without CERT training?

Yes. Community members can begin with preparedness education, volunteer support, outreach, events, and other non-deployment roles while pursuing additional training.

How do Neighborhood Teams connect with AFRN?

Teams may connect through Neighborhood Stations, Resilience Centers, training events, volunteer coordination, preparedness activities, and Disaster 360 programs.

What kind of training should members take?

Members should start with family and neighborhood preparedness, then pursue CERT, first aid, CPR/AED, Stop the Bleed, communications, disaster psychology, traffic safety, and other relevant training as appropriate.

Help Your Neighborhood Become More Prepared

Join AFRN in supporting trained residents, CERT members, Neighborhood Teams, and local volunteers working to build safer communities.

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