NYC CERT Newsletter | Issue 72 | 05/14/2022
This weekly newsletter should provide you with helpful information that you can share and discuss with your community members.

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CERT Graduation
On Monday, May 9, 2022, NYC Emergency Management hosted a virtual NYC CERT graduation ceremony for our newest members joining the NYC CERT Family. Thank you to all who attended including NYPD and FDNY instructors and especially our fantastic members of NYC CERT volunteer leadership.
Quiz of the Week
Thank you to all who participated in last week's Quiz of the Week. The correct answer was: D) Operate forklift to remove debris

This was an easy one for everyone to reset! You can review the Approved NYC CERT Roles in the NYC CERT Standard Operating Procedures: beginning on page 56. Here we identify incidents that members may be deployed to support in the event of or in preparation for different types of emergencies.
You could have probably given an educated guess for this question, as NYC Emergency Management will NEVER ask volunteers to serve in a role that is dangerous or have not provided training for.
Hurricane Preparedness
As we close out National Hurricane Preparedness Week we want to remind you that you should always Get Prepared by finding out whether you live or work in a hurricane evacuation zone. One week a year is not enough!

Visit NYC.gov/knowyourzone or call 311.
FEMA hosts HURREVAC Webinar Series
From June 6-10, FEMA's National Hurricane Program will host a five-day HURREVAC training for emergency managers. Each day, sessions will start at 2:00 p.m. EDT and run 60–90 minutes. The webinars will cover a specific theme introduced by guest speakers from FEMA, NOAA National Hurricane Center, or the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. Webinar topics include:
  • Introduction to HURREVAC and Overview of the National Hurricane Program: June 6.
  • Wind Forecast Features: June 7.
  • Evacuation Timing Features: June 8.
  • Storm Surge and Other Water Hazards: June 9.
  • Exercise Tools and Applying HURREVAC: June 10.
HURREVAC is a free web-based decision-support tool that assists emergency managers by providing information and tools to inform hurricane response decisions in advance of a threatening storm. Interested emergency managers can register now for this annual HURREVAC webinar series.
Deployment On-Scene Protocol Reminder
  • Upon arrival and when leaving the scene, CERT Lead should check-in and out with Watch Command by calling (718)-422-8700 
  • The safety of all members is the top priority at all times. 
  • No NYC CERT member should work more than a 12-hour shift in a 24-hour period. 
  • The CERT lead should develop a relief plan working with his/her team and the External Affairs ESF, Coordinator. 
  • Depending on the nature of the incident/ event, the length of relief schedules will be worked through CERT Program Staff or the EOC. 
  • CERT lead fills out the Deployment Form after standing down.

 
Basic notification guidelines for emergency situations for any CERT member are as follows: 
  1. Call 911.
  2. O.n-scene lead contacts NYCEM Watch Command and CERT Program staff with the following information:
  • a. Nature and type of incident  
  • b. Assignment request for NYC CERT   
  • c. Location of incident   
  • d. Point of contact on scene   
  • e. Staging area   
  • f. Stand by for further instructions. 
MONDAY RADIO ROLL CALL

Borough Channel: QN

Scenario: What evacuation zone are you in? Where is your nearest evacuation center?

5/16 Responding Borough:
Manhattan


Documents to Review:
Each week we will have a survey with questions that relates back to lessons learned during NYC CERT training or your experience as a member. The answer will be revealed in the following week's newsletter. Good Luck!

The NYC CERT Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) provides guidance and outlines policies and procedures for you and your team to follow.
NYC CERT Division maps are available (pdf format) to support recruitment and preparedness planning in your community.
View the NYC CERT Event Calendar to see upcoming training, meetings, and planned deployments.

After you participate, be sure to Submit Your Volunteer Hours!

For more questions on how to submit your service hours you can view the Hours Submission FAQs.
Only CERT members in compliance with the vaccine mandate will continue receiving messaging from NYCEM CERT Program staff. Volunteers who did not submit appropriate documentation to meet the vaccine mandate, or request a reasonable accommodation through NYCEM, will be considered inactive until they submit following the below steps.

To submit vaccination records, please email an approved proof of vaccination to: CERTVaxVerification@oem.nyc.gov.

Please review the necessary steps HERE
If your division is hosting or participating in an upcoming event, please complete the Event Request form to have your opportunity published through Eventbrite.com for members to register.
Your NYC CERT Ready New York Liaison can submit a Ready New York Material Request for upcoming events.
Get Notified with New York City's official source for information about emergency alerts and important city services. Download the free Notify NYC mobile app, available for iOS and Android.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Fleet Week NY 2022 – Tours

In honor of Memorial Day, private tours have been secured for CERT members aboard the Navy ship, USS Bataan at Pier 88, in Manhattan, on May 26th & 27th. Members can register for ONE of the tours below and bring ONE guest. Only CERT members should register, not guests, but please keep to ONE guest each.

Registration:
Ready NY - School of the Year

Ready NY will be celebrating its School of the Year on Wednesday, May 18th at 8:30 AM. This year, the award is being presented to: P.S.103, in the Bronx. CERT support is being requested to help with material distribution. Please consider staffing this event if available, especially if you are a Bronx member.

Search for Buddy Check Event
Buddy Check
As we close out a long year of volunteering to support your community and head into a new year with new challenges, please take some time to support one another. The best way to do that is by performing buddy checks.

What is a buddy check?
Taking the time to check on family and friends, especially those unable to leave their home for any reason. You might be surprised by the impact you'll have on those who you connect with.
Are you interested in becoming a mentor to new NYC CERT members?

All Volunteer leadership should be encouraging active members to serve in a mentor role in order to support both their growth as leaders and provide new opportunities for newer members to become more engaged.
  1. Complete the NYC CERT Mentor Program form to let us know if you'd like to be a mentor or mentee.
  2. Complete the Matching Questionnaire to help pair the mentor to a mentee. Both forms must be filled out to participate in the program.
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY
CERT Orientation

Program staff hosted an orientation session on Tuesday, May 10th for current applicants interested in signing up for Basic Training. During the session, applicants received an overview of the role of CERT members, Basic training, and the expected engagement they will have with their communities upon completion. Orientation helps interested applicants make an educated decision on whether CERT membership is something that they want to pursue based on program expectations. We hope to see some of these interested applicants in upcoming training cycles.
Monthly Division Meetings
Queens Division 1

On May 11th, Queens Division 1 held its monthly meeting. Members reviewed planned events and potential upcoming events they can participate in such as the Long Island City Fire Works Show.
Brooklyn Division 6

This past Thursday, Brooklyn Division 6 members gathered virtually for their monthly meeting. Members discussed the important items relating to upcoming engagement opportunities including team logistics and building relationships with their local responders.

Brooklyn Leadership

On Thursday, Brooklyn Borough Coordinators held their monthly leadership meeting. Here the Brooklyn Borough Coordinator went through a few housekeeping items in order to provide support at all levels of the program. CERT program staff were present to answer questions as well as provide a few training announcements.


Download NYC CERT Background for use during CERT meetings and training in a virtual environment (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.)
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
This training session continues to develop and engage current and upcoming leaders better prepare for the distinct leadership roles in the program.
 
CERT DEP Support is an advanced training course led by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) that trains CERT volunteers to support the efforts of clearing debris to avoid flooding prior to a severe weather event.
 
Training Refresher: Urban Environment Series
New CERT Volunteer Orientation
The New CERT Volunteer Orientation is an advanced training course designed to help CERT members learn how to navigate the NYC CERT Event Calendar, sign-up for events, and submit their Volunteer Hour Submission Form.
Point to Point Radio Training
Learning Objectives:

Local Point to Point Network
UHF Radios 450 MHZ
Radio Terminology
Call Protocol and Proper Communication Procedures
Exercise: - As part of the Point to Point radio training, there's a mandatory outdoor exercise.
Get ahead of the upcoming CERT Radio Training announcements and take your pre-requisite on your own time!

Pre-requisite for members participating in the Point-to-Point training:
Please send verification of completion to CERTTraining@oem.nyc.gov prior to the training date.
Coastal Storm Plan Training
As we are fast approaching the upcoming flood season, the Coastal Storm Plan Training Learning Management System is available to volunteers 24/7 to be done as either Just In Time training or self-paced training. This is the new training for shelter managing and all Coastal Storm Plan staff levels.

If you have not created an account you can easily do so on the home page of the site. These credentials are independent of any other credentials you have created in the past for NYC CERT.
Each of the FEMA Region II webinars presented in 2022 has been recorded and archived. If you wish to revisit a webinar you attended or would like to listen to one you missed, or even share with a friend or co-worker, you can find the links on the document linked here 2022 webinar recordings which includes the webinar description and recording link for each webinar by category.
NYC CERT online platform includes online courses to support volunteer growth.
Schedule a free Fire Safety training for your Division at
FEMA Region 2 (R2) Webinar Catalog includes all recorded webinars.
FDNY Smart offers free hands-only CPR classes through the FDNY Mobile CPR Program. The goal of these classes is to equip New Yorkers with the basic skills needed to take action in the event of a cardiac arrest emergency. To sign up for one of our free classes or to schedule a class in your community visit www.fdnysmart.org/cpr/.
COVID-19 Community Conversations: Mental Health, Equity and Resilience
DOHMH is offering free virtual training to community groups. There are two options, a 1-hour informational virtual presentation and a 3-hour interactive training (available in English, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin). 
THINGS TO KNOW
Regular reminders in simple steps that can help you work preparedness into your busy schedule.
Listen to the NEW episodes of NYCEM's two podcasts, Prep Talk (SoundCloud, iTunes & Spreaker) and ¡Prepárate! on SoundCloud.


KNOW YOUR ZONE is your destination for everything you need to know about hurricanes in New York City.

You'll find information about the city's hurricane evacuation zones, the hazards you may face from a hurricane, and what to do to prepare.