RSM CERT

09/21/2026

🚨 RSM — DON’T MISS THIS FREE, HANDS-ON TRAINING! 🚨

Our second RSM Citizens Academy course is coming up, and space is limited to just 70 participants!

🩸 BASIC TO ADVANCED BLEEDING CONTROL 🩸

What would you do if someone was suffering from life-threatening bleeding and help was still minutes away?

This FREE hands-on course will teach you practical skills you can use when seconds matter. Using FEMA CERT materials, participants will learn how to:

✅ Recognize life-threatening bleeding
✅ Make critical treatment decisions
✅ Perform basic compression
✅ Pack serious wounds
✅ Properly apply a tourniquet
✅ Practice these techniques hands-on

📅 September 29, 2026
⏰ 6:00–7:30 PM
📍 RSM City Council Chambers
22112 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita

⚠️ ONLY 70 SPOTS AVAILABLE — DON’T WAIT TO REGISTER!

This class is FREE, but you must register in advance.

👉 REGISTER NOW:
Reserve Your Spot⁠ now: https://secure.rec1.com/CA/rancho-santa-margarita-ca/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTQ0NDE0MzU=

Learn the skills. Practice the skills. Be ready when it matters.

RSM CERT — Be Prepared. Be Ready. Be Connected.

09/17/2026

🚨 RSM CERT Citizens Academy — Class 1

Preparedness starts at home! 🏠

On Tuesday, September 15, RSM CERT kicked off the first of four *FREE* Citizens Academy classes with a focus on Home Emergency Preparedness.

CERT Lead Instructor Jim Clements covered creating a home emergency plan and the importance of having preparedness kits, or “go-bags,” for both your home and vehicle.

A big thank you to everyone who attended and took the first step toward being better prepared! 👏

Stay tuned for information on our next three classes!

09/11/2026

On September 9, during the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council meeting, the Rancho Santa Margarita Community Emergency Response Team (RSM CERT) was honored with a proclamation recognizing the team’s contributions to National Preparedness Month. Greg Wieckert accepted the proclamation on behalf of RSM CERT

The proclamation recognizes RSM CERT’s ongoing efforts to educate and train residents in emergency preparedness, response, and community resilience. Through hands-on training and community outreach, our volunteers help equip residents with the knowledge and skills needed to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors when disaster strikes.

We are grateful to the City of Rancho Santa Margarita for this recognition and, most importantly, for its continued support of emergency preparedness and community resilience.

A special thank you to all of our RSM CERT volunteers for the time, dedication, and commitment you give to making our community safer and better prepared.

Preparedness starts with each of us. Together, we build a stronger, more resilient Rancho Santa Margarita.

09/07/2026

Reminder! RSM’s CERT team is hosting four FREE “Citizens Academy” classes with the third class, Fire Safety and Utilities Control, on 10/15. Signup information below!

https://secure.rec1.com/CA/rancho-santa-margarita-ca/catalog/index/f2779b8e5e73a7c84cdd319483843fe9?filter=c2VhcmNoPSZjYXRlZ29yeSU1QjI0MTk3JTVEPTE=

09/01/2026

September is National Preparedness Month, a reminder that being ready isn’t about fear, it’s about confidence and taking small steps. In the wake of a major earthquake, do you know what to do?

Prepare today for a safer tomorrow.

08/27/2026

Reminder! RSM’s CERT team is hosting four FREE “Citizens Academy” classes with the first class, Home Emergency Preparedness, on 9/15.

Signup information below!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cc9He3ce8JLWVIDGBB0wca5ctAMFzrUi/view?usp=drivesdk

Shared with Dropbox

08/16/2026

RSM! Here are the details on our second FREE citizens academy course:

Basic to Advanced Bleeding Control

Date: September 29, 2026
Time: 6-7:30pm
Class Capacity: 70
Location: RSM City Council Chambers, 22112 El Paseo
Registration link: https://secure.rec1.com/CA/rancho-santa-margarita-ca/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTQ0NDE0MzU=

This FREE hands-on course utilizes FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) materials to provide a practical overview of bleeding control. Attendees will learn to identify life-threatening conditions and make critical treatment decisions, gaining direct experience with essential techniques including basic compression, advanced wound packing, and proper tourniquet application.

08/06/2026

Free training Rancho Santa Margarita!

Interested in learning how to better prepare yourself, your family, and your community for emergencies? The Rancho Santa Margarita CERT Citizens Academy was created just for you!

Come join us for our first of four academy evenings titled Home Emergency Preparedness:

Date: September 15, 2026
Time: 6-7:30pm
Class Capacity: 70
Location: RSM City Council Chambers, 22112 El Paseo

Registration link: https://secure.rec1.com/CA/rancho-santa-margarita-ca/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTQ0NDE0MTA=

This course provides a practical overview of disaster readiness utilizing FEMA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) materials. Learn to design a comprehensive family plan and disaster supply kit for home or work. Gain vital knowledge on RSM community roles and how major disasters impact local infrastructure, including electricity, communications, transportation, and essential resources

07/27/2026

On Saturday, July 25, CERT members from Rancho Santa Margarita, Lake Forest, and Silverado joined Team Rubicon for hands-on training in flood-fighting methods and sandbagging techniques.

Participants learned how to properly fill and place sandbags, construct diversion walls and temporary levees, create protective “raincoats” to help prevent hillside oversaturation, and use sandbags to protect structures from floodwaters.

With this winter expected to be one of the wettest on record, we hope our CERT team’s newly acquired skills won’t be needed—but if they are, they’ll be better prepared to help protect our communities.

07/15/2026

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1449183737244551&id=100064588154035&mibextid=wwXIfr

☀️ Cooling Centers Available During Extreme Heat

With excessive heat in the forecast, Rancho Santa Margarita reminds residents that cooling centers are available for anyone needing relief from high temperatures.

📍 OC Public Library – Rancho Santa Margarita Branch
(Orange County Designated Cooling Center)
30922 Antonio Parkway

📍 Bell Tower Regional Community Center – Quiet Lounge
(Alternate Cooling Center when community needs warrant)
22232 El Paseo

💧 Stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day, wear lightweight clothing, and never leave children, older adults, or pets in a parked vehicle.

⚠️ Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and call 911 immediately if someone is experiencing a heat-related medical emergency.