AgdaPkt 2007-04-23 - Laserfiche WebLink

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88 Page 3 Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) was launched in 2006, and 74 citizens have received training in the first two classes. The program is well established in other Bay Area communities, and we are working hard to continue this successful community-based program. We have identified three areas of focus for 2007: (1) Designate neighborhood team leaders/teams and their respective responsibilities; (2) Purchase equipment needed for each neighborhood; (3) Continue training courses. With a solid foundation in place, and the needed participants to fill team positions, we will concentrate on outreach within Redwood City to our elderly and special-needs residents, as well as those who may require multi-lingual communication. Ongoing CERT training twice each year and supplemental training provided to current CERT members will ensure the sustained success of this program, which is anticipated to be an ongoing program. The mission of CERT is to establish community-based preparedness planning which allows members to prepare for and respond to disruptions and hazards following a disaster. As individuals, team members can prepare their homes and families to cope during that critical period. Through pre-event planning, neighborhoods and worksites can also work together to help reduce injuries, loss of lives, and property damage. Neighborhood preparedness will enhance the ability of individuals and neighborhoods to reduce their emergency needs and to manage their existing resources until professional assistance becomes available. The Fire Department is working with the City Manager's office to use attendees of PACT and Community Builders as organizers of their blocks regarding disaster preparedness. Redwood City staff members met with Cupertino officials and leamed of the Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) program. This program is in addition to CERT and will be made available to our community in 2007. PEP is a one-time, 3 hour class designed to help residents prepare for a disaster and to take care of themselves and their families following a disaster. In this short introduction, participants willleam how to develop a disaster preparedness plan, what to do before/during/after a disaster, crucial emergency supplies to have on hand, how to locate and control utilities in the home, ways to mitigate hazards, and basic fire extinguisher techniques. This program offers excellent stand-alone emergency planning and preparedness guidance and also serves as an introduction for those who may be considering participating in future CERT classes. Future plans for disaster preparedness in Redwood City consist of building on the work that has been done up to now with limited fiscal and personnel resources. All the work done thus far has been accomplished during times of fiscal challenge to the city and bay area. The Fire Department will be looking at expanding the training budget in Fiscal Year 08-09 to train even more city employees to better prepare them to respond during disasters. Building redundancy with staffing ability in each position held in the EOC is the ultimate goal for building an efficient disaster preparedness program. The technological needs of the EOG and for disaster preparedness revolve around building redundancy in communication mediums and networking. Some of these devices are in place now, but to keep up with technology we need to evaluate future funding sources and needs. In the event that Redwood City's EOC is unavailable for any reason we are evaluating the ability to share Woodside Fire Protection Districts EOC and Menlo Park Fire Districts Emergency Command Center (EGG) as back up facilities for our use. Page 3 of4