Online CERT classes prepare Ojai residents for disasters Grant Phillips, Ojai Valley News reporter In an emergency, are you ready to provide first aid, rescue trapped victims, and engage in limited firefighting? To be prepared, the community is encouraged to sign up for free, bilingual courses from the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The hybrid courses are an alternative to the in-person sessions and will cover several topics: disaster response skills, fire safety, team organization, environmental hazards and disaster medical operations. The program is a collaboration between the Ventura County Fire Department and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Through the new online hybrid course, participants will receive 12 hours of online independent study with in-person skills training and disaster simulations.