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Extracted from Consolidated Report

This investigation was originally published as part of a larger consolidated report containing multiple investigations. View the consolidated PDF for the complete document.

San Mateo County Grand Jury • 2005-2006

Issue | Background | Findings | Conclusions | Recommendations | Responses | Attachments Summary of Disaster

Published: July 19, 2006 9 pages

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⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.

⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.

Findings 21 findings

Emergency Preparedness, Earthquake Preparedness

Basic First Aid, Triage

Light Search and Rescue

Incident Command System

A Hands-On Exercise A survey of the cities and municipalities in San Mateo County (County) found the following: Number of City CERT Program Individuals Trained Atherton Yes 30 Belmont Yes 38 Brisbane Yes 65 Broadmoor No 0 Burlingame Inactive 0 Colma No 0 Daly City Yes 40 East Palo Alto Yes 50 Foster City Yes 214 Half Moon Bay No 0 Hillsborough Yes 50 Menlo Park Yes 300 Millbrae Inactive 0 Pacifica No 0 Redwood City Yes (New In2006) 0 San Bruno Inactive 0 San Carlos Yes 36 San Mateo Yes (New In 2006) 0 South San Francisco Yes (New In2006) 0 Woodside Fire District (Woodside, Yes 300+ Portola Valley, and nearby County) Total 1123 7 The total trained is approximately 0.1% (or 1 in 1,000) of the population of San Mateo County. Expressed another way, only 0.4% of all households in the County have trained residents, ranging from more than 5% in the Woodside Fire District to 0% in many cities. CERT programs often turn to Neighborhood Watch programs (Watch programs) to recruit residents to train in emergency preparedness. Watch programs are coordinated by police departments and are primarily used for crime prevention. These programs have existed for several years and are widespread throughout the County. They take several forms and vary in physical boundaries, membership, organization, goals, and scope. Some Watch Programs have begun limited disaster preparedness training, covering such topics as:

Where to meet in an emergency

Where non-ambulatory residents live

Communications basics Conclusions Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) programs provide excellent training for local residents and instructs them how to prepare for and respond to local disasters. Very little of this training, however, is actually carried out. Only 1,123 individuals in the County have been trained and, of these, 800 reside in only three communities. Indeed, 10 out of the 21 cities and municipalities in the County have not trained a single individual. The more common Neighborhood Watch programs could provide a greater cadre of people interested in CERT training.

Earthquake awareness and preparedness

F10

Basic disaster skills

F11

Care of the sick or injured

F12

Light search and rescue

F13

Team organization and management

F14

Skills development and application In addition to the CERT program, a Business Emergency Response Team (BERT,) based on the CERT curriculum, is now being offered. In the event of an emergency, these specially trained personnel will be available to assist emergency personnel at their place of business or be utilized elsewhere as circumstance requires. In addition to the CERT and BERT programs, the Fire Department offers a two-hour R U Ready Class for citizens and employees of local businesses. This program teaches the participants basic emergency preparedness for themselves, their family, or co-workers. Some of the topics covered include:

F15

How to make a home/business disaster kit

F16

Care of the sick or injured

F17

Incipient fire fighting

F18

Controlling building utilities (gas/electric/water) On April 7, 2007, The City will host an emergency preparedness fair to “kick-off” Emergency Preparedness Week which runs from April 8 - 14. The City will use this opportunity to increase awareness among its citizens and local businesses so they can be prepared in the event of a disaster. To assist in this effort, vendors of disaster supplies and equipment will also be in attendance. Fire Department, CERT and BERT team personnel will demonstrate their disaster knowledge and skills for the public. Sign up for the various disaster preparedness programs that the Fire Department offers will also be available. The South San Francisco Fire Department also conducts public education outreach throughout the year that includes presentations to home owner associations, businesses, schools and service groups. These classes are presented by employees from the Fire Prevention, Suppression and City of South San Francisco Civilian Disaster Training Programs October 12, 2006 Page Three Health and Safety Divisions. Using a fire safety trailer purchased with a grant from the Fireman’s Insurance Company, participants are taught the following topics:

F19

How to use a fire extinguisher

F20

Severe weather emergencies

F21

Earthquake In accordance with State of California regulations, all new City employees (408 full-time) are Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) trained. Currently, all employees who have responsibilities in the City EOC Center or a field command post are receiving NIMS training. The City recognizes the need to better prepare its citizens and businesses to be self-reliant in the event of a disaster. It is believed that the CERT, BERT and R U Ready programs that are currently offered deliver the necessary training to develop the skills necessary for self reliance; however, the involvement of all citizens is needed. Should you have any questions, contact Battalion Chief Dave Quasney or Captain Terry Long at 650-829-3950. Philip D. White Fire Chief cc: City of South San Francisco Honorable Mayor Joe Fernekes and City Council Members September 26, 2006 Hon. Stephen M. Hall Judge of the Superior Court Hall of Justice 400 County Center: 2nd Floor Redwood City, CA 94063-1655 Dear Judge Stephen M. Hall, As the Town of Atherton Emergency Management Coordinator, and under the direction of Chief Robert Brennan, I have included comments related to the findings of the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury’s “Summary of Disaster Preparedness Training for Residents of Cities in San Mateo County” dated July 14, 2006. The Town of Atherton agrees with the findings of the Grand Jury related to disaster and emergency preparedness of San Mateo County residents. The Town of Atherton is actively engaged in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Personal Emergency Preparedness (PEP) programs and is continuing with efforts to train residents, employees and elected officials of the Town. Training dates have been set for October 2006 for all employees and elected officials of the Town who will participate in eight (8) hours of instruction in the implementation of the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). Future CERT training will be schedule for each employee and elected official to participate. In cooperation with the Menlo Park Fire Protection District we have held and will continue to hold ongoing CERT and PEP classes for our residents. We concur with the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury’s recommended of an initial goal of training and preparing 5% of a city’s households. It is our goal that all of the households in Atherton have at least one trained person residing in the home. Sincerely, Eric Grimm, Sergeant Atherton Police Department Town of Hillsborough Response to Grand Jury Report Re: Disaster Preparedness Training for the Residents of Cities in San Mateo County Issue The San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury questioned whether the cities of San Mateo County have adequately prepared their residents to deal with major disasters. The Grand Jury suggests that Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) are a critical means of training individuals for an immediate response in a disaster. The Grand Jury also points out that the implementation of CERT training by cities and towns in San Mateo County is mixed, at best. Grand Jury Recommendation The San Mateo County Grand Jury recommends that every city in San Mateo County establish an active and ongoing CERT training program, with the initial goal of training 5% of its households. To meet this goal the Town of Hillsborough would have to train approximately 210 households.

Recommendations 6

R1

The San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury recommends that the city council of every city and town in San Mateo County establish and promote an active and ongoing CERT training program with the initial goal of training 5% of its households. Response The City of Belmont is proud to provide and promote an active CERT training program. We will continue to offer training for our citizens in an effort to grow the program, thought we do not expect to reach to goal of training 5% of all households during this year.
R2

The San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury recommends that all members of the city council of every city and town in San Mateo County become CERT trained as a demonstration of their commitment to this critical program. Response The members of the Belmont City Council have received information and presentations on CERT and are very supportive of the program. City Council members will consider active participation in the CERT program as their schedules permit. The City of Belmont appreciates the efforts of the Grand Jury as it provides the residents of San Mateo County with guidance in the area of disaster preparedness. Respectfully Submitted, Donald J. Mattei Chief of Police Cc: City Council City Manager City Clerk
R3

CERT programs are conducted by fire department personnel and benefit from close cooperation with police departments and coordination support from San Mateo County’s Office of Emergency Services (OES). This training is free to citizen participants 1 and consists of several modules usually taught in weekly evening classes. The number and topics of the modules vary from one city to another. For example, Menlo Park’s six subjects include: Emergency Preparedness, Earthquake Preparedness Fire Safety, Hazmat Basic First Aid, Triage Light Search and Rescue Incident Command System A Hands-On Exercise Response - The City of San Carlos agrees with this finding.
R4

A survey of the cities and municipalities in San Mateo County (County) found the following: Survey - San Carlos. CERT Program/Yes. Number of Individuals Trained/36. Response - The City of San Carlos acknowledges this finding. We note that the City of San Carlos presently has at least 36 individuals trained in Emergency Preparedness and believes this is a good start to the program.
R5

The total trained is approximately 0.1% (or 1 in 1,000) of the population of San Mateo County. Expressed another way, only 0.4% of all households in the County have trained residents, ranging from more than 5% in the Woodside Fire District to 0% in many cities. Response - The City of San Carlos acknowledges this finding.
R6

CERT programs often turn to Neighborhood Watch programs (Watch programs) to recruit residents to train in emergency preparedness. Watch programs are coordinated by police departments and are primarily used for crime prevention. These programs have existed for several years and are widespread throughout the County. They take several forms and vary in physical boundaries, membership, organization, goals, and scope. Some Watch programs have begun limited disaster preparedness training, covering such topics as: Where to meet in an emergency Where non-ambulatory residents live Communications basics Response. The City of San Carlos agrees with this finding. Response to Conclusions 2