Emergency volunteering in Utah County is run city by city, and the offerings change from year to year. In fall 2026, Spanish Fork had the clearest public CERT program; Provo had paused its monthly preparedness meetings until 2027 but was recruiting ham radio operators; Orem had just held its annual citywide drill; and countywide, the Sheriff's Office and the Health Department run volunteer teams anyone can ask to join. Here is what each one is, what it asks of you, and where to start.
CERT: Community Emergency Response Team training
CERT trains ordinary residents to look after themselves, their families and their neighbors in the hours after a disaster, before professional responders can get to everyone. In a valley that sits on the Wasatch Fault, that is not abstract; our earthquake preparedness guide explains the hazard.
Spanish Fork: the clearest program we found
Spanish Fork's emergency management page says the city was the first community in Utah to establish a CERT team. Its training has two parts:
- An online CERT course, done at your own pace. When you finish, you email your completion certificate to the city's emergency management office (the address is on its CERT page).
- In-person training, typically offered in April and October. The in-person course costs $25, and that includes a backpack, helmet, vest, safety glasses, work gloves and an N95 mask.
Sign-up links for both parts are on the city's CERT page. If you live elsewhere in south county, call your own city first; if it has no program, ask Spanish Fork whether non-residents can join a class.
Provo and Orem: what is (and is not) running
Provo's Emergency Management office, at 445 W. Center St., Suite 430, posted in 2026 that it would cancel the remaining monthly Community Preparedness meetings for Provo and Orem residents for 2026. Those meetings, open to residents of Orem, Provo and Vineyard, had been held monthly from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Orem Emergency Operations Center (56 N. State St., second floor) and at Provo Fire Station No. 2 (2737 N. Canyon Road). The city says quarterly meetings will begin in 2027, with topics and dates released at the start of the year, and invites residents to email topic ideas.
Provo's page did not list a CERT course when we checked in October 2026. It does offer preparedness presentations for groups on request, at (801) 852-6455, which is useful for a ward, an apartment complex or a student club.
Orem runs an annual City Drill, which it describes as a chance to test how well the city communicates and coordinates with residents during a disaster. City departments, volunteers and residents practice "real-world emergency procedures in a controlled environment." The 2026 drill was Thursday, Sept. 24, at 6 p.m., with an information meeting at the Orem EOC in August. Orem posts after-action reports from past drills and a "volunteer toolbox" on its drill site, and residents can sign up for the city's emergency alerts there.
Ham radio: Provo's volunteer communications team
If you hold an amateur radio license (or are willing to get one), Provo wants you. Its Emergency Management page lists a Provo Neighborhood Ham Radio Program to "assist Provo City with communications during an emergency," with a sign-up link to its HAM operator communications team. The city's menu also lists the Provo Auxiliary Communications Team (PACT). If phones and internet go down after an earthquake, neighborhood radio operators give the city another way to hear about damage and needs.
Neighborhood Watch: how to start one
Neighborhood Watch is run through your local police agency, not a national sign-up. The clearest local instructions we found are the Utah County Sheriff's Office Neighborhood Watch Starter Handbook, posted by Eagle Mountain, which contracts with the Sheriff's Office for police service. It describes the program as neighbors working with law enforcement, "trained to recognize and report suspicious activities," and using crime prevention techniques like home security.
Its checklist, in order:
- Decide whether your neighborhood wants one. Talk to neighbors first.
- Call the Sheriff's Office (the handbook lists the Eagle Mountain Division at 801-789-6712) and ask for the Starter Handbook and Leadership Guidebook.
- Read both.
- Pick an Area Leader, a volunteer who oversees the watch, divides the area into blocks and recruits Block Leaders.
- The Area Leader must pass a background check, scheduled through the Sheriff's Office.
If you live in Provo, Orem or another city with its own police department, the steps are similar but the agency is different: call your city police department's non-emergency line and ask for its crime prevention or community policing contact. Our Provo police non-emergency guide has the numbers, and our Is Provo safe? page covers the most common crimes in Provo neighborhoods, which is the useful starting point for a watch group.
Search and rescue
The Utah County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue team is "comprised of about 50 volunteers" who "typically respond to over 100 rescue missions per year," according to its page. Their skills cover technical (high-angle) and low-angle rescue, swift water, open water, dive rescue and recovery, K9, man-tracking, ice, cave, downed aircraft, avalanche, mass casualty, evacuations and medical work. The team says it sees more incidents on Mount Timpanogos than on taller Mount Nebo, because Timpanogos is easier to reach and draws more people, and Utah Lake keeps it busy too.
The page is frank about the cost: volunteers "pay for their own equipment and fuel," which it calls "an expensive hobby." It invites anyone interested to contact the Sheriff's Office to learn more. This is a serious commitment for people with outdoor skills, not a casual weekend shift.
The Medical Reserve Corps
The Utah County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a local unit of a national program that, in the Utah County Health Department's words, "recruits, trains, and activates medical and non-medical volunteers to support public health and emergency response efforts." MRC volunteers may help during disasters, public health emergencies and community events. Non-medical volunteers are part of the design, so you do not need to be a nurse to join. The Health Department's volunteer page links to the MRC sign-up.
The same page lists other county volunteer programs (Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions for older adults, and Communities That Care) and health department volunteer and internship hours for nursing and public health students, which require a contract between the department and your college.
The Red Cross
The American Red Cross Utah region says 90 percent of its workforce are volunteers. Its Utah County location listed on the regional page is a blood donation center at 310 N. 850 E., Suite C, in Lehi; the regional headquarters is in West Valley City. Volunteer sign-up is through the Red Cross Utah volunteer page. Our blood drives guide covers donating locally.
Which one fits you
| If you want | Start with |
|---|---|
| Skills to help your own street after a disaster | CERT (Spanish Fork's April or October course, or your city) |
| Something you can do from home with a radio | Provo's ham radio program |
| To organize neighbors around crime | Neighborhood Watch through your police agency |
| A demanding outdoor team | Utah County Search and Rescue |
| A role in public health emergencies, medical or not | The Medical Reserve Corps |
And if you just want your own household ready, our food storage and emergency prep guide is the place to start. For other ways to serve, see our volunteering guide.
What we could not verify
- A current CERT course schedule for Provo, Orem, Lehi or other cities besides Spanish Fork. Lehi's CERT page did not load usable content when we checked.
- A Provo or Orem police Neighborhood Watch page; call the departments directly.
- The Medical Reserve Corps' training schedule and requirements, which are on its own sign-up site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I take CERT training in Utah County?
Does Provo offer CERT or preparedness classes?
How do I start a Neighborhood Watch?
Can I volunteer with Utah County Search and Rescue?
What is the Utah County Medical Reserve Corps?
I'm a ham radio operator. Can I help Provo in an emergency?
What is the Orem City drill?
Can students do emergency volunteering?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), Spanish Fork City. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Emergency Management (preparedness meetings, ham radio program, presentations), Provo City. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Orem City Drill (Sept. 24, 2026), City of Orem. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Neighborhood Watch Starter Handbook, Utah County Sheriff's Office (posted by Eagle Mountain City). Checked October 19, 2026.
- Search & Rescue, Utah County Sheriff's Office. Checked October 19, 2026.
- Volunteer Opportunities & Internships (Medical Reserve Corps and other programs), Utah County Health Department. Checked October 19, 2026.
- American Red Cross Utah Region, American Red Cross. Checked October 19, 2026.
