Hamden CERT Basic Training & Ongoing Classes

CPR and AED Training are just 2 of the subjects that are part of the continued, ongoing training for CERT Members.

CERT Members regularly undergo CPR, AED Training and Recertification. A special thanks goes out to Hamden Fire Chief Merwede and also to Assistant Fire Chief Lubowicki for their efforts to conduct these trainings. 

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All Hamden CERT Members who have completed the basic training class have the opportunity to attend ongoing training for Advanced First Aid, CPR/AED, Stop the Bleed and other training sessions throughout the year.  

Next Upcoming CERT  Training Class starting on Thursday, September 7th.  

The Hamden Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will be conducting a Basic 8-Week, 20 Hour Training Course starting on Thursday, September 7th 2023 at the Dunbar Hill Fire Station #8, 420 Dunbar Hill Road in Hamden.

(For more information and applications, check our website at: www.hamdencert.com.) 

Applications must be completed, signed and returned to the Office of the Fire Chief, 2372 Whitney Avenue, Hamden, CT. 06518 no later than Thursday, August 31st. For any additional information, feel free to contact us through our website or email at: hamdenctcert@gmail.com or check us out on our Twitter, Instagram or Facebook Pages! 

CERT Members learn the operations of Hamden Central Communications, 911 Center

HPD, 911 Central Training Class

Another example of our Ongoing Monthly Training, "Thank you Hamden Police Department"

On Thursday evening, June 17th, 25 of our Hamden CERT Members attended our regular monthly training meeting. We were honored to have Hamden Police Sergeant Mike Doherty (Central Communications Supervisor) conduct a class along with Central Communications Telecommunicator Matt Erff, on the operations of the 911 Communications Division. 

Mike and Matt did a great job of enlightening all of us on how 911 calls are processed and what to expect when calling 911 for a medical emergency or any other incident. We also spoke of how our CERT Program can be used to assist the Hamden Police Department in some special operations to assist their department and the well-being of our community members. Thank you again to  Sergeant Doherty and Matt for a very interesting and informative evening!



Hamden CERT Volunteers Certified as "Mental Health First Responders!" 

During the 2 days of August 29th & 30th, 2018, 20 Hamden CERT Members took an 8-hour course and became certified as Mental Health First Responders.

Mental Health FA Class August 18 Group

This 2-day class instructed our members to recognize, support and protect any individual who may be experiencing a mental health emergency. This training will also help our members who will be assisting our community during major emergencies like weather related disasters, operating at an Emergency Shelter or assisting individuals who are impacted by any unsettling incident that may take them out of their customary routine. Thank you to our members who took the time to learn the skills necessary to improve our services to our community.


February 29, 2020

Hamden CERT visits Vinal Technical High School in Middletown, Ct.


Hamden CERT Members took a Field Trip to visit the High Schools Emergency Operations Center where students learn all the aspects of Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Operations and Emergency Management Operations Centers.

Vinal, Group w, Students

Our Hamden CERT Members would like to thank our Teammate Jay Cruickshank and his son Dave for a great information session today during our visit to Vinal Tech High School in Middletown, CT. Department Head, Dave Cruickshank is the Lead Instructor of the Criminal Justice and Emergency Management Program offered at Vinal Tech. It was an honor for 14 of our team members to meet with many of Dave’s Students who presented an outstanding demonstration of their personal capabilities and the equipment that allows them to produce all the charts, graphs and any information needed to manage any major incident that may occur. They were not only great kids, but they are outstanding students who again volunteered their time, (on their days off) to organize this outstanding presentation. This was just another example of the many hours that they have volunteered to make this program flourish in only 3 years of operation!


As you can see by the pictures displayed, their EOC/Classroom would be the desire of any municipality, state run facility or emergency management team! These high school students who were selected to participate in this program displayed dedication and teamwork that was beyond anyone’s imagination! After a full tour of the facility and equipment used, we were given an up-to-date handout and presentation of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Incident, that has drawn our attention over the last few weeks and could have an impact for us in the future. This is just one example of the many training sessions that our Hamden CERT Members participate in, on a regular basis to keep us well-informed of the latest incidents or concerns that could impact our local community. Thank you again to Jay and Dave Cruickshank for making this training session available and also for the lunch that they provided for us! 
This was another indispensable training that helped our CERT Members understand the possibilities we may encounter and the functions that may be required of us during any emergency, for our community.