By State › Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.: Local Resources

Download all of Washington, D.C. as PDF Print

Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA)

HSEMA leads planning and coordination for the district’s homeland security and emergency management: it operates D.C.’s Emergency Operations Center, the DC Fusion Center, the Business Emergency Management Operations Center, the AlertDC public alert system, and regional interoperable-communications coordination with Maryland and Virginia.

Where to find it: hsema.dc.gov.

CERT: run by Serve DC, in partnership with HSEMA

D.C.’s Community Emergency Response Team program isn’t run directly by HSEMA; it’s administered by Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism and Partnerships, working in partnership with HSEMA. Training is free and open to anyone who lives, works, or regularly spends time in the district, and requires completing FEMA’s IS-100 and IS-700 online courses, a D.C. background check, and a practical exam.

Two different agencies, one program

If you go looking for D.C.’s CERT program on HSEMA’s own site and can’t find a dedicated CERT page, that’s why: sign-up and program administration run through Serve DC, not HSEMA directly, even though HSEMA is a genuine partner in it.

Where to find it: servedc.galaxydigital.com/dc-cert, or email dc.cert@dc.gov.

University of the District of Columbia: Master Gardener Program

UDC, the district’s land-grant university, runs a Master Gardener Program through its Center for Urban Agriculture, Gardening and Education, part of the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES).

  • UDC Master Gardener Program: 48 hours of basic training (a 16-week course, mostly weeknight sessions plus four Saturdays) plus 40 hours of required hands-on volunteer service, with a final exam requiring a 75% pass rate. Certified Master Gardeners maintain their status with 20 volunteer hours and 10 continuing-education hours a year. Open to any D.C. resident 18 or older; the $300 course fee has financial assistance available, and applications are reviewed by ward to keep participation citywide across all 8 wards.

Where to find it: udc.edu/causes/land-grant/center-for-urban-agriculture-gardening-education/master-gardener-program.

Sources