YES! Please notify me when the next
West County CERT Academy
is scheduled.
The West Orange County CERT program has confirmed the 2026 CERT Academy dates as follows:
The Academy covers the 20 Hour FEMA CERT Basic training course (download here) and provides the opportunity to put those skills to the test during the full scale exercise on the afternoon of Saturday 8/8 after the Academy graduation ceremony and lunch.
What a great training and meeting!
Thanks to everyone who was able to make it. The turnout was great. It was so nice to see friends and faces that we have missed over the past few years. The pizza was plentiful and delicious. Thanks to SBPD for hosting and the pizza and to Barbara Flack for the drinks. The turnout was terrific, and it was great getting back together.
Chief Gonshak welcomed the Team back after nearly a three-year hiatus. briefed the Team on the department updates, including the new Crops with Cops Garden at the station and the department’s fantastic social media program headed up by Sgt Jordan Mirakian. If you don’t already follow SBPD on social media, you owe it to yourself to take a look (Facebook & Instagram). Funny, informative, enlightening, addicting – in a good way.
Sgt Mirakian also shared that the SBPD will be holding DUI Checkpoints again in the coming months in Seal Beach. This is good news for those of us who enjoy assisting with these community education events.
A huge thank you goes out to Robin Fairman who arranged for Seal Beach Marine Safety Office Mike Diller to share about the Seal Beach Lifeguard and Marine Safety programs, water safety, rip currents (remember, there’s no such thing as a rip tide), and how to treat sting ray stings. It was a great presentation and we all learned a bit about the ocean, water safety and all that lifeguards do.
In addition to sting ray stings hurt so try to avoid them, the one big take away was, any time you are at the beach, and you have a question, “ask a lifeguard!”
Hope to see you at our upcoming events.
Filling and effectively deploying sandbags is an easy process, if you know how.
In Seal Beach, you can find sandbag materials at the west end of the parking lot west of the pier at Ocean and Main streets and at Fire Station 44 (718 Central Ave) most of the year and especially during the winter months. At times during heavy winter storms, West Orange County CERT, the Seal Beach Lions Club and other service organizations will pre-fill sandbags for the public to pick up and place at their residences and businesses. Early deployment of sandbags is important to protect your property. If your property is in danger from flood waters, plan ahead and have filled sandbags on hand.
Check the City of Seal Beach website or call the Seal Beach Police Department (562.799.4100 x1165) for additional details.
Remember to stomp the sandbag you place down to fill in the cracks between the bags to help keep the water out. Proper placement of sandbags will help keep your property safer from flood waters.