Clovis CERT Building an Advanced Program One Volunteer at a Time

Clovis Facts –99,983 population –23.96 miles –Ag/Service Based Economy Fire Dept –62 Personnel –5 Stations –CERT Program since 2006 Clovis CERT Data –350 graduated members –50 active ‘core’ group members –Established as a 501c3 –Started as simple ‘catch and release’ Clovis Who/What/Where

Citizen Volunteers Quality vs. Quantity Meaningful “Stuff to Do” Capitalizing on Volunteer Interest or innate skills sets It’s not just about disasters It is about partnerships

Clovis CERT Advanced Started with 1 ‘SUPER’ Volunteer –Activities –Community Support –Improved course offerings –Department support roles for volunteers Support Unit Exercises Administration CERT Program ‘Super’ Volunteer containment Challenge What just Happened?

Activities Farmers Market –Free Collaboration with Chamber of Commerce –Eight Friday evenings from June – September –Public Information re: CERT and fire extinguisher training for kids Downtown Electrical Parade –Traffic Control –Barricade Placement –Shuttling personnel to Command Center Playground Restoration –Dig out old equipment –Replace ground cover –Install new equipment

Community Support Heat Wave Support –Staffed when temperatures exceeded 105º from 5pm – 10pm –Provided relief for 15 people displaced by extreme heat –Made 160 phone calls to special needs citizens to ensure adequate cooling measures Sandbagging –Staffed for two nights in collaboration with Public Utilities –1600 bags created over two nights –Assignments: filling, loading, distribution to residents, traffic control Smoke Detector Installations –800 Detectors installed in high- risk mobile homes over four weeks

Department Support Mass Care/Shelter Trailer –Support for 200 –Blankets, Cots, Care Kits –Supplied consistent with ARC requirements and MOU drafted for deployment out of area by ARC

Department Support Support 41 –CERT personnel trained in defensive driving and Firefighter Rehabilitation –On-Scene Victim Support Clothing Child essentials –Hydration –SCBA bottles –After Action ReportsAfter Action Reports

Average Volunteer Hours = 8,000/yr Teen CERT program graduated 200 students at CART Responded to 6 house fires with EAU support (2013) Graduated 30 basic CERT members 12 personnel certified in CPR/AED Provided $200 scholarship to one Teen CERT graduate Performed 5 training exercises Rehabilitated arson destroyed playground StormReady Certification – 1 st in the Valley (1/14/08) in collaboration with NWS –10 CERT members trained as part of certification Station 1 Opening (1/26/08) –Public Education Booth Joint MCI Exercise w/ SF CERT (2/21 – 2/22/14) 22 Presidential Service Awards for members with 1,000 hours of service CERT graduates come back to design and proctor full- scale exercises at the end of every subsequent CERT class 15 CERT members staff the Fire Department Annual Open House

Where Clovis CERT Spends Time

How/Why does it Work? Strong Leadership Team comprised of volunteers that hold each other accountable Life Safety Enforcement Manager gets out of the way Sense of Community is already strong in Clovis COLLABORATION WITH OUR LOCAL PARTNERS –Be creative –Think about joining forces and blurring boundaries