Emergency Management
Your Role in Emergency Management
When emergencies happen, individual community members are often the first to respond, helping themselves, their families and neighbors prior to the arrival of police or fire resources. Based on past experience, emergency managers recommend everyone be prepared to take care of themselves for at least 72 hours following a disaster. If we’re prepared individually, we’re prepared to help others too.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that everyone takes time to:
- Be informed: Learn what protective measures to take before, during, and after an emergency.
- Make a plan: Prepare, plan and stay informed for emergencies.
- Build a kit: Build a kit for disasters to be prepared.
- Get involved: Find opportunities to support community preparedness.
Community Emergency Response Volunteers (CERV/CERT)
There are many ways and levels in which you can volunteer. The Community Emergency Response Volunteer (CERV) of the Monterey Peninsula program builds public awareness about emergency preparedness and promotes a community's capacity to respond to disasters. CERV supports local Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), which educates 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.
Disaster Preparedness Resources
There are volumes of information available on disaster preparedness and what to do in the event of an emergency. Here is a list of some great and free resources:
- Monterey Department of Emergency Management
- American Red Cross “Plan and Prepare”
- Ready.gov: Emergency preparedness resources and education.
- California Governor's Office of Emergency Service: Public safety and preparedness information and resources.