HomeMy WebLinkAboutUpdate - PS Subcmte - CERT TrainingCITY OF PALM DESERT
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM
TO: Justin McCarthy, Interim City Manager
FROM: Ryan Stendell, Senior Management Analyst
DATE: January 14, 2009
SUBJECT: Update on Public Safety Subcommittee, Community Emergency
Response Team (CERT Training)
BACKGROUND:
The Public Safety Commission created the Public Safety Subcommittee in October of
2008 to review the following issues:
Review and suggest changes to the existing emergency response manual
Review possible training programs that could be available to Palm Desert
residents.
Assess the overall preparedness of our citizens.
The Commission appointed: Councilwoman Finerty, Commissioner Rick Lebel,
Lieutenant Andrew Shouse, Battalion Chief Steve Brooker, and City Staff.
The Public Safety Subcommittee held its first meeting on December 1, 2008. Training
opportunities for City residents quickly became the most discussed topic. Chief Brooker
recommended CERT training as the best and most valuable training that could be
offered to our residents. The topic of the CERT Program was not new to the committee
as the topic is regularly discussed in every emergency preparedness forum.
CERT training is a twenty -hour program educating people about disaster preparedness
for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills,
such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical
operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT
members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when
professional responders are not immediately available to help. CERT members also are
encouraged to support emergency response agencies by taking a more active role in
emergency preparedness projects in their community.
Previously the CERT Program was administered by the Coachella Valley Emergency
Managers Association (CVEMA). The program was taught by volunteers from Cal Fire
and minimal grant funds from the State of California. The classes through the CVEMA
Public Safety Subcommittee Update CERT Program
Page 2
1/22/2008
have all but disappeared due to the lack of volunteers and the disappearance of funding
from the State. However, the popularity of this program has continually gained. Staff is
bombarded with requests from local communities wanting to go through CERT.
Staff was directed to investigate the possibility of bringing a CERT program to Palm
Desert. Public Safety Commissioner Lebel suggested that we might be able to utilize
College of the Desert (COD) for this training, and asked staff to investigate what the
cost might be.
DISSCUSSION:
Staff brought this item back to the Public Safety Subcommittee meeting at its meeting of
January 14, 2009. The College of the Desert Dean of Training and Development, Ms.
Pam LiCalsi briefed the subcommittee of what services they could offer. COD has seen
this as an opportunity to add a valuable training program to the closely completed Public
Safety Academy. Ms. LiCalsi indicated they are willing to provide this training, and that
they are very well suited to run this type of program. COD investigated the costs of
running such a program, provided a cost of $6,000 to $8,000 per class. The class will
include registration of students and instructor/staff time. A typical CERT class can
accommodate 30 people at one time which requires at least two instructors.
Since CERT is a federally recognized program, instructors or subject matter experts
(SME's) must be trained and certified as instructors. Typical instructors could be local
fire fighters or emergency responders that have been through the CERT Train the
Trainer program.
The Public Safety Subcommittee is very enthusiastic about the possibility of providing
this type of training to the citizens of Palm Desert. Staff has indicated that there is
funding available in emergency supplies and training budgets to cover approximately 2
classes in FY 08/09. The subcommittee recommended that staff explore the option of
offering two classes this fiscal year, and based on the results we can look at funding
future classes for FY 09/10 during the upcoming budget cycle. Staff is aware of several
sources of grant funding that could reimburse up to 50% of a program of this nature and
is currently researching the details of each grant.
The recommendation of the subcommittee is that this not be a free class due to the lack
of personal investment in the program if it is provided free of charge. However, since
the City has a major benefit from having CERT trained people within the city limits a
nominal fee should be required. The subcommittee suggests a fee of $30 to $50 per
person is collected for the course. Staff anticipates returning to the City Council at its
meeting of February 10, 2009, for award of contract for two classes to be held before
the end of this fiscal year.
RBS//
cc: Homer Croy, ACM for Development Services
Sheila Gilligan, ACM for Community Services
Paul Gibson, Director of Finance
G:\DevServices\Ryan Stendell\Word\Emergency Preparedness\CERT TRAINING COD\Info Item 1-22-09.doc