[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough
of Westwood as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where
applicable.]
[Adopted 10-14-2014 by Ord. No. 14-32]
A.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Bergen County CERT
and other emergency management organizations have recognized the potential
value and contribution of local CERT teams to the health, safety and
welfare of their respective communities.
B.
The Borough of Westwood, by this article, establishes and creates
the Westwood CERT Team as a program within and under the direction
of the Westwood Office of Emergency Management.
C.
In forming the CERT the Mayor and Council seek the furtherance of
the following policies, among others:
(1)
During a large-scale disaster, the response of the Borough's
Police, DPW and volunteer emergency services may be delayed or overwhelmed
by the nature and scope of an event. This leaves the citizens of the
Borough to provide for their own well-being and safety until first
responders arrive. This reality is the cornerstone of the Westwood
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).
(2)
The goal of the CERT program is to provide our residents who complete
the CERT training with the basic skills that they will need to provide
for their personal safety and that of their family/neighbors. It also
prepares them to respond to the Borough's immediate needs in
the aftermath of a disaster, when emergency services may be delayed
or unavailable. By supplementing the Borough's emergency services
capabilities, CERTs can protect property using the basic techniques
in this course.
(3)
CERT is about readiness, people helping people, personal safety and
doing the greatest good for the greatest number. The program provides
a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations
where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can
make a difference. CERT is a community based volunteer effort and
is a component of the Borough's Office of Emergency Management.
The criteria for membership in CERT shall be as follows:
A.
Citizen or legal resident of the United States.
B.
Resident of the Borough of Westwood (or business owner or employee
of a business within the Borough).
C.
Eighteen years of age or older.
D.
Subject to background check.
E.
Successful completion of FEMA/New Jersey State Police approved CERT
training.
F.
Members shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to confirmation
by the Council, and shall serve indefinitely unless or until their
resignation, ineligibility, removal or inability to serve for any
other reason.
G.
Participation in at least 50% of Westwood CERT training events each
calendar year.
H.
Completion of any future required training for CERT volunteers.
Westwood CERT will be managed by the OEM Coordinator or his
designee. It shall be the responsibility of the CERT Coordinator,
either OEM Coordinator or his designee, to maintain membership certification,
training and attendance records for all CERT members.
If staffing permits, the Westwood CERT shall be comprised of
the following:
A.
CERT Coordinator.
B.
CERT Squad Leader(s), each squad being comprised, ideally, of six
persons in addition to the Squad Leader. In the event membership doesn't
match that squad size the CERT Coordinator may vary the size of the
squad or squads to best utilize members with as few as four members
or as many as eight in a squad plus the Squad Leader.
CERT Members shall serve without compensation for their services;
provided, however, that it shall be lawful if the municipality in
its discretion chooses to reimburse certain members for certain out-of-pocket
expenditures.
A.
The CERT's mission shall be as follows:
(1)
CERT members are trained in basic disaster response skills, team
organization and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned
in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members ensure their own
safety first, and are then prepared to assist others in their neighborhood
or workplace following an event when first responders are not available
or when general assistance is needed in a variety of non-life threatening
operations. CERT members are also prepared to support emergency response
agencies by taking a more active role in emergency preparedness projects
in their community.
(2)
CERT is a critical program in the effort to engage everyone in the
Borough in making the community safer, more prepared and more resilient
when incidents occur.
(3)
The CERT program can provide an effective, supplemental response
capability. Acting as individuals first (in securing their own safety
and that of their immediate family/neighborhood), then later as members
of teams, trained CERT volunteers can assist (not replace) first responders
in many ways as well as act as effective "eyes and ears" for uniformed
emergency responders. They become an important supplemental workforce
to serve the community in such nonhazardous functions such as shelter
support, crowd control and evacuation.
B.
CERT members or their squads shall only serve during emergencies
and shall not perform any actions or services beyond their training,
qualification and mission. The authorized role of trained CERT members
includes but is not limited to the following:
(1)
Assisting as a shelter aid.
(2)
Assisting to emergency services teams in areas of recordkeeping,
communication and logistical support.
(3)
Performing public assistance checks for senior citizens and disabled
residents.
(4)
Assisting first responders or public work employees in nonhazardous
duties at disaster scenes or during rescue operations as authorized
by, and under the direction of, the OEM Coordinator.
(5)
Assisting with large nonemergency events within the Borough such
as parades, runs and similar events under the direction of and as
authorized by the OEM Coordinator.
(6)
In the event of an emergency, the CERT will be activated through
the Borough Office of Emergency Management under order of the OEM
Coordinator. Activation for non-disaster or emergency events would
follow a written request and a written authorization from the Westwood
OEM. CERT members shall not interfere with or perform services delegated
to the Westwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps or the Westwood Fire Department
or other duly qualified first responding organizations.
