Welcome Captain Gross & Captain Gates

Please join the LAFD CERT Unit in extending a huge welcome to our new CERT Commander, Captain Dustin Gates. We also are excited to welcome the new Disaster Preparedness Captain, Rico Gates. The past few years has been hard on us all. We look forward to restarting the program, the training, the refreshers, and having the Captains at the helm of the Los Angeles CERT program, which as Captain Gates states, “…is a model for other programs worldwide.”

Rico Gross, Captain II, Disaster Preparedness Officer (DPO)

Captain Rico Gross is the Disaster Preparedness Officer (DPO) for Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD). He serves in the LAFD’s Homeland Security Division as a leader and liaison to various departments and partner agencies. He also oversees the LAFD CERT Program – the Community Emergency Response Team. Captain Gross leads the LAFD’s efforts to help businesses, families, and individuals prepare for disasters. In addition, he and his team are tasked with educating Angeleno’s about the importance of disaster preparedness and helping to raise our communal readiness for all types of emergencies. Captain Gross has been a member of the Los Angeles City Fire Department for 20 years. He and his team work tirelessly, training everyday individuals to ensure that our communities have the best possible chance of surviving and thriving after a disaster.

Dustin Gates, Captain I, LA CERT Commander

Captain Dustin Gates has been a member of the LAFD for 18 years. Prior to the Fire Department, he was a Deputy Sheriff with the LA County Sheriffs Department, and also served in the United States Army. He was a firefighter for 14 years, Emergency Incident Technician for 1 year, and now a Fire Captain for 3 years. During his career, he has been assigned in every geographic bureau in the city. He took over as the LAFD CERT Captain early December 2021.

He has always loved being involved with the community and working with volunteers. “I’m truly honored to be part of the LAFD CERT program, which is a model for other programs worldwide. I look forward to working with all of our CERT members in advancing the program and working with all of you,” says Captain Gates.