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Alana Fulvio worked as a recruiter for various companies in Silicon Valley. Despite doing this for several years, she felt something was missing. Eventually, she found her calling in a career—and life—dedicated to solving problems, building systems, and connecting people. This journey led her to her current role as the Community Emergency Response Team coordinator in Redwood City.
“Our mantra at CERT is to do the greatest good for the greatest number of people,” Fulvio said.
CERT educates its volunteers about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills like fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Led by coordinator Alana Fulvio, the program partners with city services to empower volunteers to support their community during emergencies.
The concept was first developed and implemented by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985 and became a national program in 1993. Today, there are more than 3,200 local CERT programs nationwide in all 50 states, each tailored to its respective community needs.
Redwood City’s CERT is a collaborative program with the County’s Office of Emergency Services. It is backed by the fire departments of both Redwood City and San Carlos as a unified partnership. It encompasses Redwood City, Redwood Shores and San Carlos.
Fulvio first heard about CERT on Nextdoor and was immediately intrigued. She started taking the course and “just couldn’t get enough.” When she learned that the then interim coordinator Lee Bach was retiring, Fulvio knew she had to give this a shot.
Following a competitive interview process, she was appointed the new CERT coordinator on Oct. 7, 2024.
“I just thought, what an honor and gift it is to be able to serve the first responders and my city and bring the community together,” she said.
Under this role, Fulvio is a part-time city employee and works at Fire Station 9 on Marshall Street in Redwood City. As one of her duties, she will manage the upcoming spring CERT academy from Feb. 20 – April 5. The training will be held on Thursdays from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at San Carlos Library on 610 Elm Street.
The academy is held twice a year in Redwood City, Redwood Shores or San Carlos and runs once a week for six weeks. To sign up, people can visit the city’s website or email Fulvio directly.
Each session covers Federal Emergency Management Agency modules, combining structured lessons with interactive, hands-on teaching. Classes include lectures, videos, and hands-on activities led by either the CERT coordinator or subject matter experts like medical professionals.
The last day of the academy is called “Skills Day,” an all-day event where participants apply their training in practical scenarios, such as fire suppression, search and rescue, and disaster medical aid. They work alongside trained CERT members, trainers and “survivors” who simulate real-life disaster situations.
Upon completing the program, participants can become CERT-certified and sworn in as Disaster Service Workers, gaining legal protections when activated for an emergency response. But, participants get to choose if they want to become active CERT members or just educate themselves through the program.
In addition to the academy, ongoing “mini-programs” are offered throughout the year for further hands-on practice, such as radio communication training.
CERT members are called when the fire department or city requests their support. This can range from assisting first responders with tasks like traffic control to emergencies requiring search and rescue or disaster medical aid. CERT members never self-deploy during emergencies but respond only when officially requested by authorities.
“It could feel scary to think about preparing and getting yourself and your loved ones ready, but it will be scarier if we are a frantic community,” Fulvio added. “Preparedness is the key to minimizing risk and human, animal and land loss.”
