Thank you to our Hamden CERT volunteers who gave up a good part of their weekend supporting the Hamden Road Race & Festival. Our members started on Friday evening, helping to set up the track & prepare the entry points and parking area. It was an early start (06:00 hrs.) on Saturday morning to be ready for the many runners who entered the park to warm up and prepare for their events. In the middle of all of the activities around noon time, we also helped Hamden Fire Department with 4 medical emergencies, all at the same time! We truly appreciate our members who worked beyond a regular 8-hour day, under a hot, sunny sky & got by on a few bottles of water, a bagel & some cookies. A total of 132 service hours over the two days is something that our members and community can be proud of!

Hamden CERT volunteers were activated on May 21 for another emergency at a structure fire at 660 Mix Avenue. The incident happened a little after noon at a 6-story, non-fireproof, residential apartment building. All Hamden Fire apparatus and personnel were on scene for close to 3 hours because of the many interior exposure concerns that required extensive overhaul operations. With this being our 2nd multiple alarm fire in the last 3 days, we thank our mutual aid partners from all surrounding towns along with our Hamden Police. We also would like to thank the multiple AMR Units that were on scene to assist with the many individuals who were temporarily displaced during the fire suppression operations. Both Hamden CERT units were on scene to assist with firefighter rehabilitation and offer temporary sheltering needs for those who were displaced. Hamden CERT units returned to service shortly after 15:30 hours.

On Tuesday evening, May 19th, Hamden Fire responded to multiple 911 calls for a residential structure fire on Winnett Street. On arrival of Engine 2, heavy fire was reported on the 1st and 2nd floors of the structure. A 2nd Alarm was soon requested for heavy fire with exposure concerns. Hamden CERT responded and set up a Rehab Station and assisted with air bottles for the many firefighters because of the elevated temperatures and humidity. Thank you to the many mutual aid departments who responded to this 3-alarm Fire along with Hamden Police & American Medical Response who covered medical calls throughout the town and assisted at the scene. Hamden CERT cleared the scene at 12:30 hours and returned to Station 2 for supplies.

On May 16 and under clear, blue skies, fifteen of our Hamden CERT members gave up part of their weekend to help with our spring-cleaning session. Our members prepared both of our vehicles for the upcoming busy summer season of planned events. All of our winter equipment was replaced with summer supplies and equipment as we finally started to get warmer days and evenings. Both vehicles were cleaned inside and out and we are now ready to respond to any emergency or special event.

We had a great evening on May 7 as our students from Hamden CERT Class #25 finished their training. This was one of our larger classes and each new member made us proud of how they participated each week, became friends, and actually became part of our Hamden CERT family. We are honored to have them as part of our team and congratulate them on their hard work, dedication, and taking the time to learn how to make a difference!

On April 9, Hamden CERT Class 25 completed Week 4 (halfway there!) with hands-on bandaging & actually interviewing & treating 5 different patients with what they learned from the previous week. Thank you to our 13 CERT Members who came out tonight to act as patients & evaluators, remembering when they went through this practical exercise themselves! Special thanks to team member, EMT, and Certified Trainer Jennifer Kirchoff who led the class and brought in many of her props and supplies to add realism to each of the different scenarios. Our students did an outstanding job as they prepared to make the turn towards Week 5 of our 8-week class.

Our newest Hamden CERT students attended the second week of our CERT Training on March 26, covering Disaster Psychology and discussing the emotional impact not only on victims of a disaster but also the impact on the rescuers who respond. We also reviewed Terrorism Awareness and what to take notice of relating to situations or individuals that would cause concern. "If You See Something, Say Something!" ​We also discussed how CERT members may, after an official activation, assist with logistical support of first responders after any major incident from a safe, secure location. We appreciate our dedicated group of students for taking the time to attend our sessions to learn how to make a difference, not only for themselves and family members but also to assist their neighbors and community in times of need when first responders may be delayed in reaching the scene of any emergency.

If you're interested in CERT training, our next class will begin March 19th and consists of Basic & Disaster First Aid, Light Search and Rescue Techniques, Control of Home Utilities, Fire Extinguisher Training, and Traffic Safety, along with the Goals and Protocols of the FEMA-sponsored, nationally recognized, CERT program. You do not need to commit to ongoing participation with the CERT team in order to participate in the training. To register for the class, please fill out this form .

Did you know that news is posted here on our home page, but that many of the postings are archived once they are no longer timely? You can learn a lot about our past activities by visiting our news archives.

Hamden CERT members are stepping up for the start of the 2025 holiday season of giving by assisting Hamden Community Services with their Holiday Toy Drive! Stop by to say "hi" and bring a toy or a monetary donation to help Santa make it a special Christmas for some children in need! We’ll be out in front of Aldi’s in the Hamden Mart on December 6, 13, and 20 from 10 am to 2 pm ! Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Applications are available for our next 8-week, 20 hour training course which starts on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at the Dunbar Hill Fire Station #8 , 420 Dunbar Hill Road in Hamden. Class starts at 6:30 p.m. and runs 2½ hours. This course is open to anyone over the age of 18 who has an interest in protecting themselves, their loved ones and their neighbors. If desired, after completion of the course, graduates will be qualified to become a member of our CERT Program receiving additional training and providing needed services while helping our Hamden 1st Responders and the Hamden Community during emergencies and pre-planned community events. The training will consist of Basic & Disaster First Aid, Light Search and Rescue Techniques, Control of Home Utilities, Fire Extinguisher Training, and Traffic Safety, along with the Goals and Protocols of the FEMA-sponsored, nationally recognized, CERT Program. The application is available here . For any additional information, please fill out our contact form or email us at hamdenctcert@gmail.com.

CERT was called out just after 3 am on August 30 for a fire on Morse Street. Luckily everyone was able to evacuate both the house with the fire and the neighboring house that had ultimately had only siding damage. The Hamden Firefighters were able to stop the fire from causing additional damage because of their offensive attack on the building of origin. The Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Hamden CERT assisted the occupants of both buildings & supplied logistical & rehabilitation services to the firefighters. Please be reminded of the need to make sure you have working smoke detectors.