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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO -- El Paso County wants to train people to be ready for a disaster. People at the sheriff's office said it's not really a matter of if but when a disaster will strike El Paso County so they want as many people as possible to be trained on what to do in an emergency.

Blizzards, floods and fires all strike El Paso County from time to time.

"In El Paso County it's not foreign to us to have instances of disaster, and that would include the blizzards that we had in 2006 and 2007," El Paso county Sheriff's spokeswoman Lt. Lari Sevene said.

Now the sheriff's office will train you how to deal with a disaster.

"The more people we have in our community that are prepared and have the training, the better off we will be," Sevene said.

They said the first days after any disaster are usually the most dangerous, and many times people will have to look after themselves.

"The first 72 hours are critical after a disaster, and often local resources, city and county resources stretched beyond their respective capabilities," Sevene said.

They said their Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) can help you take care of those closest to you after disaster strikes.

"So that they can understand what they need to do and how they can be effective and helpful and how they can provide assistance for their for their friends family and neighbors in the first 72 hours," Sevene said.

Due to budget cutbacks the sheriff's office only does its CERT training in groups.

Any business or organization can take the free 16 hour course over two or three days, and the sheriff's office said they can work around your schedule.

"This isn't a matter of if this is gonna happen, it's a matter of when, and the more information you have the better prepared you'll be," Sevene said.

You can schedule your group for CERT training by calling the Sheriff's Office Emergency Services Division at 575-8400.