Agenda - 09-02-2003-8f - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 2, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. g- SUBJECT: Acceptance of Grant to Establish a Community Emergency Response Team Program within the County DEPARTMENT: Emergency Management PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Orange County Grant Proposal Grant Award Notification Memorandum of Understanding INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Waters, ext 3030 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider accepting a federal grant in the amount of $10,000 to establish a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program within Orange County. BACKGROUND: To supplement its existing program, Orange County Emergency Management has been awarded a grant for the purpose of training citizens to take care of themselves and assist others in their communities for the first three days following a disaster. Citizens will be trained with the basic skills required to handle most needs after a disaster and be taught how to assist their neighbors. This concept expands the Law Enforcement Community Watch program to include some Emergency Action Training. The program has real value in protecting the citizen rescuer in times of catastrophic events. This program teaches community groups the safe way to do things that human nature leads them do in times of emergencies when help from public or volunteer agencies does not come right away. The program teaches the basic survival skills that a neighborhood group would need. Disasters could severely restrict and overwhelm emergency response resources leaving neighborhoods and individuals cut off from outside emergency support. Orange County Emergency Management has previously identified this as a problem and, over the years, has espoused the need for citizens to make plans to be self sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours. The target audience for the CERT program includes private citizens, businesses, and non-profit groups who desire to learn how to help themselves and their friends, neighbors and co-workers. A planning committee consisting of representatives from Carrboro Police Department, Carrboro Fire Department, Orange County Emergency Management, Orange County Animal Control, Chapel Hill Police Department, and Orange County Sheriff's Department has been formed to update and revise the existing Federal Emergency Management Agency curriculum. Topics that will be covered in the training provided to Orange County residents include: