Emergency Services Coordinator Marsha Hovey says she and Vallco general manager Mike Rohde have made an arrangement that will allow CERT and other classes to take place in a 3600-square-foot storefront on the second floor near JCPenney. "We're offering more and more programs, but the classroom space in Cupertino is very limited," she says. Now, Hovey says, those classes just need supplies.

"The chairs we have came used from the sports center, so we could use some new ones, and we have no tables or audio/visual equipment," she says. In addition to hosting classes, the mall space will allow shoppers to come in and pick up brochures and learn information on subjects like turning off a house's gas supply after an earthquake.

For now, the space will be rent-free as part of a joint venture between the city and Vallco, though that arrangement might change if the classes become even more popular.

"This is much more visible," Hovey says. "[Rohde] and his security staff have been through CERT training, and Vallco is very supportive of emergency preparedness."

Hovey says she hopes to christen the new space in mid-February.

To donate items for the classroom, call the Office of Emergency Services at 408.777.3335.