My understanding of CERT vs CEPA is the same as Arney's. Its all good. I took the first CERT class in a town where the fire department doesn't have any immediate plans to integrate CERT teams into their response plans - not that I blame them, until we build a critical mass of CERT trained folks who stay interested and maintain / extend our training I wouldn't want to rely on us either. Until then, we act mainly as CEPA, taking care of our friends and family with a bit more training on the basics. CERT in California I understand is totally different - plenty of volunteers, a high level of organization, and they are highly motivated to take part in training necessary to rely on them in disaster scenarios. CERT has some history with Northridge, Loma Prieta etc.

CERT training did springboard me into training for Red Cross shelter work, which got me interested in emergency management, and I'm interested in pursuing a master's degree in that now, in middle age. I've extended my first aid training to a level of comfort with the types of injuries I'll encounter. I became a ham to improve my chances of communicating. Its always better to have folks know what to expect in a disaster, whether its a hazmat release, winter storm, tornado or earthquake. Your own piece of mind should go up if you go through CERT, along with your general preparedness.