The City of Salem provides Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes under the auspices of the Salem Fire Department, and there is no charge to participate. To become certified, you must attend all the classes. Training topics include personal preparedness, the CERT organization, disaster medical operations, disaster psychology, fire safety and utility controls, light search and rescue operations, and CERT and terrorism. The final class in the series is a mock disaster drill where you can practice the skills you learned in the previous classes. We can’t wait to have you on board! For more information, visit: CERT Class – September/October 2026 – Salem Oregon CERT
Upcoming dates are as follows:
- September 10, 17, and 24, 2026 (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
- October 1, 8, and 15, 2026 (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.)
- Saturday, October 17, 2026 (8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.) — This final session includes a mock disaster drill followed by the class graduation.
Would a crustal magnitude 6.9 Mount Angel Fault earthquake or a magnitude 8.5 Cascadia quake do more damage in Marion County? According to modeling from DOGAMI, the crustal earthquake would be more damaging; however, it would also affect a smaller geographical area than Cascadia, making the region’s overall response and recovery needs smaller. These images come from the modeled scenarios. See also, DOGAMI’s Marion County Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment Story Map. It lays out risks for earthquakes, landslides, floods, wildfires and volcanoes.
Did you know the City of Salem has a YouTube channel? Check out the videos below or go to the channel directly for more topics!
Surviving Cascadia 