Lamorinda Community Emergency Response Team

1. LamorindaCommunity Emergency Response Team Unit 6: CERT Organization Released: 27 August 2019 Lamorinda CERT

2. Community Emergency Response Team Personal safety is ALWAYS the number one priority Work as a team Wear PPE – your personal protective equipment …gloves, helmet, goggles, N95 mask, boots, etc. The CERT goal is to do the Greatest Good for the Greatest Number Hope for the best but plan for the worst Visual 6.1 Lamorinda CERT

3. Unit Objectives and Topics This unit covers: What you might do during a disaster response The emergency management structure (Incident Command System) How CERTs mobilize and organize themselves How CERTs can fit into a larger emergency response and recovery structure Why, what and how CERTs document their activities And, a “table-top “ exercise to practice these Visual 6.2 Lamorinda CERT

4. Need for CERT Organization Individual CERT members may need to operate as part of organized CERT units Emergency response events typically require multi-agency coordinated efforts CERT members and units are likely to operate as part of a larger emergency response effort Familiarity with common emergency response organizational structures is necessary and expected Visual 6.3 Lamorinda CERT

5. Principles of CERT On-Scene Management Maintain the safety and health of CERT disaster workers Provide clear leadership and organizational structure Improve effectiveness of response and recovery efforts Visual 6.4 Lamorinda CERT

6. What Might CERTs Do? CERTs may have operational tasks Neighborhood assessments Traffic control Debris management Individual CERT members may do administrative tasks (documentation, phones/messages, GoFer) at an Emergency Operations Center or in the field CERTs, if trained, may take on specific tasks Food Unit, Communications Unit, Staging Unit Triage, first aid and medical support Visual 6.5 Lamorinda CERT

7. General Response Objectives Identify the scope of the incident What is the problem? Determine an overall strategy What can CERT do? Deploy resources Who is going to do what? Document actions and results If you didn’t write it down, it didn’t happen Visual 6.6 Lamorinda CERT

8. CERT On-Scene Management Goals Well-defined management structure Manageable “span of control” Common terminology Effective communication Consolidated action plans Comprehensive resource management Accountability Visual 6.7 Lamorinda CERT

9. Incident Command System INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM Provides flexibility of resource management Positions filled as needed Modular units Key Concepts Unity of Command – each CERT reports to only one person Manageable span of control Common terminology and organizational structure Visual 6.8 Lamorinda CERT

10. Span of Control Between 3 and 7 team members Optimally does not exceed 5 team members Visual 6.9 Lamorinda CERT

11. Incident Command System INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM Five major management activities in ICS Command Operations Planning Logistics Finance / Administration Visual 6.10 Lamorinda CERT

12. Incident Commander Basic ICS Structure Public Information Officer Liaison Officer Safety Officer Planning Finance / Administration Logistics Operations Visual 6.11 Lamorinda CERT

13. Complex ICS Structure General Staff Command Staff Visual 6.12 Lamorinda CERT

14. CERTs in Large ICS Structure General Staff Command Staff CERT? CERT? CERT? Visual 6.13 Lamorinda CERT

15. CERT ICS CERT Team Leader (Incident Commander) Public Information Officer Safety Officer Planning Finance / Administration Logistics Operations CERT ICS Structure Lamorinda CERT Visual 6.14

16. CERT Command and Control CERT Team Leader: “What to do” The Incident Commander (IC) Operations: “How to do it” Manages the teams in the field Planning / Intelligence: “What’s going on” Collects and displays information, makes incident plans Logistics: “How to support it” Manages resources, supplies and equipment Administration: “What gets recorded” Collects, compiles and stores documentation Visual 6.15 Lamorinda CERT

17. CERT Leader CERT Leader: Normally assumed by the first person on scene Position may be transferred when a more qualified person arrives Command Post location is established by the CERT Leader for command and control of the CERT Locate near, but out of the disaster scene CERT Leader may appoint Operations, Planning, Logistics, Safety Officer, etc. as incident expands A CERT incident may be of any size CERT may be integrated into a larger ICS structure Visual 6.16 Lamorinda CERT

18. CERT Leader Is Incident Commander unless part of larger ICS structure Has overall responsibility for all CERT actions Sets objectives and priorities Assigns personnel as needed Ensures coordination of staff actions and activities Communicates with higher authorities (police, fire, EMS, EOC, etc.) Visual 6.17 Lamorinda CERT

19. CERT Safety Officer Safety Officer's role is to develop and recommend measures to the Incident Commander for assuring personnel health and safety and to assess and/or anticipate hazardous or unsafe situations. Develops the Site Safety Plan, reviews the Incident Action Plan for safety implications, and provides timely, complete, specific, and accurate assessment of hazards and required controls. Visual 6.18 Lamorinda CERT

20. CERT Safety Officer Reports to Incident Commander Assesses and anticipates hazardous and unsafe situations Develops and recommends measures for assuring personnel health and safety Develops the Site Safety Plan Reviews the Incident Action Plan for safety implications Can halt any operation at any time for safety concerns Visual 6.19 Lamorinda CERT

21. Communications: Addressing the Media and the Public You may get questions from the public or from media representatives Refer inquiries to CERT Team Leader, Incident Commander, or Public Information Officer • Do not let media interfere with CERT activities • Do not divulge any sensitive information Visual 6.20 Lamorinda CERT

22. CERT Operations Section Visual 6.21 Lamorinda CERT

23. ICS - Operations Operations Section Develops the operational tactics Develops the section organizational structure Conducts tactical operations to carry out the plan Directs all deployed resources Visual 6.22 Lamorinda CERT

24. ICS – Planning / Intelligence Planning Section Collects and evaluates information Validates information into intelligence Develops the Incident Action Plan to accomplish the objectives defined for the event Maintains resource status on all personnel and equipment during the event Maintains incident documentation Visual 6.23 Lamorinda CERT

25. ICS - Logistics Logistics Section Provides resources and all other services needed to support the incident Personnel Equipment and supplies Food Communications Facilities Transportation, etc. Visual 6.24 Lamorinda CERT

26. ICS – Finance / Administration Finance/ Administration Section Responsible for costs related to incident Provides accounting, procurement, time recording and cost analysis Volunteer time is used for Federal matching dollars, and tracking is very important The value in California was $29.95 per hour in 2018 Visual 6.25 Lamorinda CERT

27. First on scene Incident Commander Filling the Boxes Public Information Officer Liaison Officer First assignment Safety Officer As needed Planning Finance / Administration Logistics Operations Visual 6.26 Lamorinda CERT

28. CERT Response CERTs: Take care of themselves, their family and their home With a scribe, survey the neighborhood for injured victims and property damage using a Rapid Needs Assessment form Report the neighborhood status to CERT Command or the city EOC Wait for a mobilization order Do the greatest good for the greatest number without placing CERT members in harms way Visual 6.27 Lamorinda CERT

29. CERT Response Organizing is key! Don’t get caught up in the “ICS Rules” Know the concepts and make it work for you Use only those positions that make sense in the given incident You will “play how you’ve practiced” Practice by using ICS for routine events (neighborhood parties, weddings, etc.) Know your resources Maintain situational awareness Visual 6.28 Lamorinda CERT

30. CERT Mobilization CERT Mobilization (When, Where & How) Refer to the Lamorinda CERT Call-out Policy in your binder and on the website When you self-deploy in your neighborhood, you are doing so at your own risk as a Good Samaritan. In conjunction with the cities and Moraga-Orinda Fire District, Lamorinda CERT will develop and communicate an organization plan for each specific incident Communications must be organized, efficient and effective ICS was developed to assist in the management of incidents of all sizes – USE IT! Visual 6.29 Lamorinda CERT

31. CERT Documentation CERT Documentation is very important Under CERT, each level of authority is responsible for documentation CERT Leader (Incident Commander) Command Staff Officers (Safety, PIO, etc.) General Staff Section Chief (Ops, Plans, Logs, Admin) Branch Director (Area or Function branches) Team Leader (Search Team 1, Medical Team 4, etc.) Individual CERT member You will always be in a team of at least two. Make one a scribe to record everything you find. Visual 6.30 Lamorinda CERT

32. Rapid Needs Assessment Form Lamorinda has a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) Form in use by Police, Fire and CERT The RNA form is designed to record what is found in each neighborhood It is recommended that the form be pre-filled with street addresses in your area to aid in the complete and swift assessment of the entire neighborhood. Visual 6.31 Lamorinda CERT

33. Pre-filled RNA Form Visual 6.32 Lamorinda CERT

34. CERT Forms Standard ICS forms are used The “Universal Form” is a blank sheet of paper Forms are available for download at the Lamorinda CERT website: https://lamorindacert.org/resources/cert-forms/ Forms that should be in every CERT’s backpack include: Rapid Needs Assessment Head-to-Toe Assessment General Message Victim Treatment Area Unaccompanied Minor Report Form Visual 6.33 Lamorinda CERT

35. ICS Forms CERTs Might Use Standard ICS forms commonly used by CERT 205 Communications plan 207 Incident organization chart 208 Safety plan 211 Incident check-in list 213 General message form 214 Activity log Visual 6.34 Lamorinda CERT

36. In the End, Calm Heads Prevail! Visual 6.35 Lamorinda CERT