Teen CERT Students Recognized at Eagle Mountain City Council Meeting
At tonight’s Eagle Mountain City Council meeting on Tuesday, June 2, 17 members of Eagle Mountain City’s Teen CERT program received their certifications, marking the program’s fourth graduating class and its largest to date.
The program was developed by Eagle Mountain City Public Safety Director and Emergency Manager, David Ulibarri, a retired Unified Fire Authority professional with more than 30 years of emergency response experience. Throughout his career, he has prioritized public education and instruction, including CPR/AED, CERT, emergency preparedness, Stop the Bleed, POST, and the Utah Department of Emergency Management ICS-300 and ICS-400 courses.
In 2022, Ulibarri presented the idea to Cedar Valley High School. Working closely with Gwen Whiting, CVHS Work-Based Learning and CTE Internship Coordinator, and Alpine School District, the team successfully established the program as an internship.
Beginning in 2023, eligible juniors and seniors authorized to leave campus spent one semester during the final class period of the day at the Eagle Mountain City Hall Council Chambers with David Ulibarri. During the internship, students earned five nationally recognized emergency response certifications: Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Stop the Bleed, American Heart Association Adult/Child/Infant CPR/AED, FEMA National Incident Management System (NIMS) 700, and Incident Command System (ICS) 100.
The Teen CERT internship is the only known comprehensive program of its kind in the country to offer all five certifications. The program’s unique structure reflects David Ulibarri’s extensive professional background and instructional qualifications.
Interns from both semesters come together for a final assessment: a disaster simulation featuring actors and moulage designed to test their skills in a high-pressure, realistic mass-casualty scenario. The exercise evaluates participants’ abilities in search and rescue, triage, and patient treatment area operations.
In 2024, the internship expanded to include Westlake High School. Over the past two years, students from both schools have worked together effectively, building teamwork, collaboration, and strong peer connections.
With the addition of this year’s graduating class, a total of 49 students have now completed the program, reflecting its continued growth and sustained success.
The internship is offered during Period A4 in the first semester and Period B8 in the second semester, providing students with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on emergency response training and nationally recognized certifications while still in high school.
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