Starting a CERT Program
Step 7: Delivering Training
Delivering CERT Training
If you have delivered CERT training for the first time in your community, you understand how critical that initial delivery is. If you are getting ready to deliver CERT training for the first time, you may want to review the following advice from experienced CERT Coordinators:
Overall Tips
- Start slowly. Don't take too much on in the beginning. Identify a target audience and deliver the training to that group. Then, evaluate the training and deliver it again before opening the program to the larger community.
- Allow plenty of lead time. You will have a lot of logistical arrangements to make before you're ready to deliver CERT for the first time. Be sure to allow enough lead time for the first delivery to ensure that your training is not affected by issues that could have been resolved had you not been in such a rush to get the program started.
Conduct a Pilot-Test Session
- Conduct a real-life run through. Conducting a "dry run" of the curriculum with the instructors will provide the opportunity for them–and you–to identify issues with the curriculum, the facilities, or the instructors before they are identified by the class. A dry run also provides an opportunity for instructors to ask questions and for you to coach them in their presentation skills. Conducting a dry run will make the instructors feel more comfortable and allow the class to run more smoothly during the first actual delivery.
- Observe the pilot session. You know how the CERT program should work, and perhaps, you will be able to identify nuances in the training that no one else will. You also have a vested interest in seeing the program succeed. Take the time to observe the entire pilot session and provide your own feedback to the instructors at the end of each session.
- Evaluate the pilot program. Your first, or "pilot" offering of the CERT program will set the tone for future deliveries–and for the continued growth of the entire program. Set yourself, your instructors, and the CERT volunteers up for success by planning a thorough, "fearless" critique of the initial delivery. This critique should include:
- The curriculum. What worked well? What parts of the curriculum need some revision to make them more effective? As developed, the CERT materials present the critical content for CERT programs, but local procedures and practice, as well as community needs, may require that you tailor the content to address your local requirements.
- The delivery. Even experts may need your help to be good instructors. Be sure to monitor the class and get feedback from the participants on how the materials were delivered. This will help you and the instructors refine the training delivery and assist you in selecting future instructors. (If you use multiple instructors–and most CERT programs do–be sure to structure your feedback form by topic so that you can identify the individual instructor, what he or she is doing well, and where he or she may need help.)
Arrange Facilities
You may not be able to change poor facilities, but there may be steps you can take to improve the facilities you have. Take the time to get feedback on the facilities from the class. Be sure to include factors, such as accessibility, parking, restroom/break facilities, lighting, temperature, visibility, and ability to hear the instructors on the feedback form.
When planning for training facilities, you may want to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of using a fixed facility versus taking the training on the road. A fixed facility limits your logistical challenges but may be inconvenient for the participants. One CERT program held the training in different fire stations throughout the community. This approach was convenient for the participants from that area and introduced firefighters from the station to the CERT volunteers and the program.
Start on the Right Track
- Check the classroom and materials before the session begins. There are only a few things worse for participants than watching an instructor try to figure out how the projector works or waiting for the instructor to find classroom materials that didn't get to the classroom. Be sure to check out everything before the class begins. Show your instructors how to operate all equipment during the dry run. Use the materials checklists at the front of each unit in the Instructor Guide to ensure that everything that will be needed for each session is actually in the classroom, accessible, and working.
- Make a good first impression. CERT participants are making an investment of time and energy in CERT and the community. Make them feel welcome. Have signs that help them with parking, bathroom facilities etc. Greet them when they arrive. Consider having snacks and break food available. (One CERT program provided snacks for the opening session and asked for volunteers to provide goodies for the next sessions. Try to involve volunteers with the program early.)
- Take time to learn the students' motives. Make time in the training (e.g., during the icebreaker, after the first session, after the last session, or during breaks) to talk to the students about why they enrolled. Find out:
- What prompted them to enroll.
- How they found out about the training.
- Their satisfaction level with the program, the schedule, and the training intensity.
- Their suggestions for improving future deliveries.
- What you can do to sustain their interest in participation.
Gaining this information from the students themselves can tell you more about the volunteers' needs, changes you need to make in the future, whether your marketing program is working, and what you need to do to maintain and grow the program.