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2 <br />The Orange County Citizen Corps Council expended its $2,500 grant on emergency <br />preparedness outreach efforts. One effort was the All-Hazard Guide, a 74-page book that <br />explains to readers how to prepare far and respond to all types of emergencies in the County, <br />Copies of this document are available at each public library in the County. Other CCC efforts <br />focused on the Latino population, with funding directed for weather preparedness <br />advertisements in an Orange County Spanish language newspaper, as well as Severe Weather <br />Preparedness posters in Spanish. <br />Community Emergency Response Team <br />The Community Emergency Response Team Program (CERT) was established by the Orange <br />County Department of Emergency Management to supplement its existing preparedness <br />programs, The CERT program is a public education program that trains citizens on how to take <br />care of themselves and assist others in their communities for the first three days following a <br />disaster. Citizens are trained with the basic skills required to handle most needs after a disaster <br />and are taught how tc assist their neighbors. <br />As is the case with the Citizen Corps Council program, the CERT program is in its infancy as <br />well, with at least 14 instructors who are now trained on the curriculum and are preparing to <br />train the first classes of citizens in early 2005, Interested citizens will be provided information <br />through the local news media on how to become involved with the CERT program. The funding <br />from this grant will pay for advertisements to make those interested aware of the program's <br />availability. <br />Orange County Emergency Management utilized the $10,000 grant to purchase 351 CERT kits <br />that will be provided to graduates of the program, The kits contain a pair of goggles, hard hat, <br />flashlight, extra batteries, reflective vest, work gloves, first aid kit, and anti-bacterial hand wipes, <br />The new grant funding for the Citizen Corps Council and the Community Emergency Response <br />Team currently will focus on providing emergency preparedness information in three languages <br />- English, Spanish and a third language to be determined. The grant will also pay for training <br />materials and supplies to support the CERT program. <br />FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no County match required for the receipt State-administered <br />Federal grant. There may be same limited additional staff time; however no additional County <br />costs should be expected. <br />RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board: 1) accept the grant <br />award; 2) authorize the County Manager to sign the Memorandum of Agreement, subject to <br />final review by staff and the County Attorney; and 3) designate the Emergency Management <br />Specialist as the point of contact for the grant funded programs, <br />