9 Graduate Community Emergency Response Team Training

Sioux City Police Chief, Rex Mueller; Volunteer Coordinator, Rita Donnelly, and WC Emergency Manager Mike Montino are proud to announce the graduation of 9 CERT participants.

Certificates were awarded to the graduates on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at the Sioux City Police Department.

This is the 21st year that Homeland Security funding as well as funding from the SCPD Volunteers In Police Service program have been used to offer CERT training to the SCPD Volunteers and Citizen Academy graduates.

More than 370 participants have received CERT training over the 21 years. The Sioux City Police Department is grateful to the CERT graduates for their time and efforts to learn lifesaving skills to help themselves, family members, and others in the event of an emergency.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, using a model created by the Los Angeles City Fire Department, began promoting nationwide the use of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept in 1994.

CERT training promotes a partnering effort between emergency services and the people they serve. The goal is for emergency personnel to train members of neighborhoods, community organizations, or workplaces in basic response skills.

If a disastrous event overwhelms or delays the community's professional response, CERT members can assist by helping their families and neighbors until emergency help arrives at the scene.

CERT skills also apply to daily emergencies that may occur and have been used to help save the lives of some of our local citizens in the past.

The 2026 CERT Graduates. (Photo by the Sioux City Police Department)

The CERT training consisted of classes that covered the following topics: Emergency Management, Disaster Preparedness & Homeland Security; Communications Center & 911; Fire Suppression; General First Aid; and Adult, Child & Infant CPR.

Congratulations to the Sioux City Police Department 2026 CERT graduates Tina Buhrman Begnoche, Lexi Carey, Michelle Clark, Christy Conrad, Christian Davis, Jerry Levay, Casaday Loomis, Janet Stevenson, and Dane' Zarbano

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