Issaquah Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has received two grants that will help expand emergency preparedness efforts and support residents throughout the community.

A grant from the Puget Sound Energy Foundation will help CERT build community resilience by purchasing supplies for CERT training classes and supporting volunteer continuing education, including CPR, Stop the Bleed and search and rescue courses. The funding will help ensure volunteers are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to respond during emergencies.

CERT also received a King County District 3 Councilmanic Grant, sponsored by Councilmember Sarah Perry. The grant will help provide fans and high-quality air filters to income-eligible residents, improving indoor air quality during wildfire smoke events and periods of extreme heat.

Together, the grants will strengthen CERT's mission of preparing residents, supporting volunteers and helping the Issaquah community become more resilient in the face of emergencies.

Issaquah Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers partnered with the City of Issaquah on June 17 and 20 to distribute free Clean Air Giveaways to income-eligible residents, helping households prepare for wildfire smoke and extreme heat.

Each kit included a high-efficiency air filter and a box fan, providing residents with an affordable way to improve indoor air quality during smoke events and hot weather.

The Clean Air Giveaway program is supported by a King County District 3 Councilmanic Grant, sponsored by Councilmember Sarah Perry. The funding helps Issaquah CERT continue providing resources that improve emergency preparedness and protect vulnerable community members during wildfire season and periods of extreme heat.

The spring 2026 CERT course concluded in March with 19 graduates! Congratulations to our newest CERT members and thank you to the volunteers who stepped up to teach and bring the final drill together. Thank you to Mayor Mark Mullet for attending the graduation ceremony and presenting certificates to the class.

Do you have friends or family interested in taking a CERT course? The next course is scheduled for October 2026. If you've already taken a CERT class and want a refresher, you are welcome to attend a future class to brush up on course materials. 

Issaquah CERT assisted Eastside Fire Corps, Seattle Medic One and other agency volunteers with the Firefighter Stairclimb at Seattle's Columbia Tower in early March 2026. 

The annual Firefighter Stairclimb challenges firefighters to climb 1,356 steps in full gear to raise funds for blood cancer research. About 2,200 career, volunteer and retired firefighters participated in the world's largest on-air stair climb competition.

Issaquah CERT volunteers put their skills to the test at the Bellevue Nasty Drill at Lake Sammamish State Park on Feb. 28, joining teams from Bellevue, Woodinville, Carnation and beyond for a late-night disaster simulation.

From 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., volunteers trained in real-world conditions. The drill served as a reminder that emergencies don’t wait for convenient timing.

Interested in joining this effort? Start with CERT Basic Training. The next course is scheduled for fall 2026.

(Photos courtesy of Carnation/Duvall Citizen Corps)

Issaquah CERTs were deployed to help King County Search & Rescue and Carnation-Duvall Citizen Corps in the search for a missing dementia patient in Carnation in February 2026. 

On Thursday, Feb. 12, the missing man walked from his home on Tolt River Road in Carnation and hasn’t been seen since that day. Volunteers canvassed nearby neighborhoods, along with surrounding wooded areas and rivers/streams.

(Photos courtesy of Carnation-Duvall Citizen Corps)

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