"The Greatest Good for the Greatest Number of People."
About Us
The Thornton Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program empowers residents with essential skills and knowledge to assist their community before, during, and after a disaster. CERT is a national FEMA program administered locally by the Thornton Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Management to educate the public on hazards and build local resilience through hands-on training, teamwork, and community engagement. Established in 2015, the Thornton CERT Program serves two main functions,
To educate residents in disaster and emergency preparedness through the CERT Basic Academy curriculum.
To be a force multiplier for emergencies and disasters in our community through the coordinated organization of our CERT Team.
As of 2025 the city has trained over 200 community members through the CERT Basic Academy and maintains a team of 35 active CERT volunteers supporting local response and preparedness initiatives.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Thornton Community Emergency Response Team is to empower residents through education and hands-on training to take an active leadership role in supporting community-wide mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. In times of emergency or disaster, Thornton CERT is prepared to assist the City of Thornton and neighboring communities by supplementing public safety resources when response capacity may be strained or delayed.
CERT volunteers come from all walks of life—parents, teachers, retirees, healthcare workers, and more. These "secondary responders" play a critical role in supporting first responders and helping communities recover more quickly. With the right training and teamwork, CERT members can make life-saving decisions and assist when it matters most.
To participate in the Thornton CERT Basic Academy, you must:
Be 18 years of age or older
Complete all CERT Academy sessions (24+ hours of instruction)
Attend the final disaster simulation
Make-up classes are available through other regional CERT programs Note: You do not need to be a Thornton resident to enroll.
Graduating from the CERT Academy makes you eligible—but not obligated—to join the Thornton CERT Team and support emergency operations or public events.
The Thornton CERT Basic Academy includes 24+ hours of interactive, hands-on instruction taught by experienced emergency responders and emergency managers from Thornton Fire. We offer the following nine sessions in a two week span of training: four weekday nights and two full day weekend classes.
Course Sessions:
Session I: Disaster Preparedness Identify local hazards and learn how to prepare.
Session II: CERT Team Organization Understand how CERT integrates with emergency response.
Session III & IV: Disaster Medical Operations Practice triage, basic first aid, and patient care.
Session V: Disaster Psychology Learn to recognize and support emotional needs during a crisis.
Session VI: Fire and Utility Control Identify fire risks and practice extinguisher use.
Session VII: Light Search & Rescue Operations Practice safe rescue techniques including cribbing, lifting, and searching.
Session VIII: Terrorism Awareness Recognize threats and understand response principles.
Session IX: Full-Scale Disaster Exercise Review the lessons learned from all sessions and Apply your skills in a realistic, full-scale emergency exercise.
How to identify and respond to common hazards
Team-based fire suppression, first aid, and search and rescue techniques
Strategies for emotional resilience during and after disasters
How CERT integrates into citywide emergency response operations
Graduates receive a Certificate of Completion and, if available, starter emergency kit supplies. Missed a class? You can make it up later or attend a session through another CERT program in the Denver Metro Area.
The CERT Basic Academy is offered in the Spring and is open to all community members over the age of 18.
To register or request more information, contact: Ryan Doyle, Emergency Manager ryan.doyle@thorntonco.gov 303-538-7586
Gain critical life-saving skills
Help your community respond and recover faster
Build relationships with local emergency responders
