Neighborhood Team Captain Procedures.

CERT Certification:
All persons or organizations receiving a Neighborhood Team Kit must have completed CERT Certification through a recognized CERT Program within Orange County. In addition, successful completion of a background check through the Anaheim Police Department, and certification in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) IS-100, IS-200, and IS-700 tests is required.

Anaheim Affiliate:
All persons and organizations receiving a Neighborhood Team Kit must reside within the City of Anaheim.

Active CERT Status:
All persons or organizations receiving a Neighborhood Team Kit must maintain their “active status” through the Anaheim CERT Program. Active status is defined as persons who re-certify their CERT certification on an annual basis through participation in one of the following: a disaster simulation drill or; attending a minimum of six monthly CERT meetings (2nd Tuesday of the month from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Office of Disaster Preparedness) or; Complete a CERT Train-the-Trainer course or; complete the 20-hour CERT Training.

Team Captain Training:
All persons or organizations receiving a Neighborhood Team Kit must attend at least 2 Team Captain Training activities or meetings scheduled by the Office of Disaster Preparedness. Meetings and/or training exercises may include on-site training for a particular organization or neighborhood, tabletop exercises, Team Organization refresher training, NIMS training, or other exercises deemed appropriate by the Office of Disaster Preparedness.

All requirements are subject to change based on the implementation of new State and/or Federal requirements or new initiatives introduced by the Office of Disaster Preparedness. Failure to meet these requirements results in the revocation of the CERT Neighborhood Team Kit.

All supplies and equipment within the kits remain the property of the Anaheim Fire Department, Office of Disaster Preparedness. Once a person or organization has met the above requirements, they take on the responsibility of ensuring that the Neighborhood Team Kits are maintained in working condition and that all supplies are accounted for at any given time. Should there be a problem with supplies or mal-function with any equipment, they must notify the Office of Disaster Preparedness to report such problems. The following are specific duties of the Neighborhood Team Captain pertaining to the on-going maintenance and “user ready status” of the kits:

• Ensure that the kit is stored in a secure location and remains easily accessible in the event of an emergency;
• Allow for the scheduling of quarterly or bi-annual audits of kit supplies to be completed in the field by assigned Fire Department personnel;
• Notify the Office of Disaster Preparedness regarding malfunctions in equipment;
• Relinquish the kit to appropriate Fire Department personnel should it be required to respond elsewhere in the City or need to be used for exercises/training events.

In the event of an emergency or major disaster, the Neighborhood Team Captain is responsible to take the following actions:

• Notify the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) via the Mag One Motorola radio provided, RACES HAM Radio Operator, e-mail, or phone that you have activated your Neighborhood CERT Team and will be providing emergency response within your neighborhood or organization;
• Utilizing the CERT Neighborhood Team Kits, your personal grab and go bags/emergency kits, and other available supplies, set-up your incident command post in the pre-designated location (to be determined by the Neighborhood Team Captain) and begin the necessary response efforts;
• Assign a responder to the Logistics Section to oversee the distribution of Neighborhood Team Kit supplies and keep appropriate records of the dissemination of all supplies and equipment;
• Arrange for the appropriate disposal of perishable supplies such as medical gloves, bandages, CPR barriers, etc;
• Once the incident is completed or professional first responders have entered the scene, begin collecting the remaining CERT Neighborhood Team Kit supplies and document the items that have been returned. All non-perishable supplies and equipment such as gloves, hard hats, vests, tools, etc., should be returned.
• Make note of any items that have been damaged as a result of the response efforts;
• Return the Neighborhood Team Kits to the Office of Disaster Preparedness to be inventoried and re-stocked.

Additional Requirements for Schools and Faith-based Organizations

Purpose and Overview:

Schools sites are ideal locations for receiving the CERT Neighborhood Team Kits as they have built-in emergency procedures to accommodate a large number of students and will be expected to perform various emergency response operations in the event of a major disaster. Faith-based organizations tend to be natural gathering places for its membership to receive services during times of need. Therefore, the following procedures outline the additional requirements for school sites, faith-based organizations, and other similar groups to receive the CERT Neighborhood Team Kit.

Procedures:

• A minimum of 3 people within the organizational setting must complete the CERT Certification and remain active in their status;
• For school sites, a minimum of 10 people made up of teachers, administrators, staff, or PTA members (limited to 2) must complete training in basic emergency response through an 8-hour course administered by the Office of Disaster Preparedness or become CERT Certified. The 8-hour course will include training in Light Search and Rescue, Fire Suppression, Medical Operations, and an overview of Basic Disaster Preparedness, Disaster Psychology and NIMS. This training should be done at the school site receiving the CERT Neighborhood Team Kit.   
• For faith-based organizations, a minimum of 10 people made up of staff or church membership must complete training in basic emergency response through the same 8-hour course listed above. This training should be done at the site that will be receiving the kit.