NYC CERT Newsletter | Issue 78 | 06/25/2022
This weekly newsletter should provide you with helpful information that you can share and discuss with your community members.

If you're having difficulty viewing the newsletter click here to view as a webpage.
June After Action Report
NYC CERT volunteers are embracing the summer weather as they are back in full swing as they are back to supporting annual events, as well as some brand new ones. Many divisions are continuing to build relationships locally. An example of this is the Knickerbocker Puerto Rican Day Parade, supporting Assemblymember Davila's office with pedestrian traffic. Great work all!
National Night Out Against Crime
NYPD will once again be hosting in-person events in all five boroughs to educate the public on crime prevention and personal safety while encouraging a stronger relationship between neighbors and law enforcement in local communities.
We encourage divisions to connect with their local police precincts.
To help ensure that NYC CERT leaders have this opportunity, we are providing a citywide contact list of NYPD Axillary Coordinators. NYC CERT leaders should reach out to the coordinating officers in your local precincts to request CERT participation.
If your division needs more support, please let us know by emailing [email protected] and we can help to facilitate that connection to the precinct.
Please, remind membership to send information about upcoming events to the division’s Ready New York Liaison for proper event coordination, including requesting preparedness material in a timely manner. If you do not have an RNY Liaison, the Division Chief or District Leader will send in the request for the event.
If you have questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with NYC CERT Staff at [email protected]

Please submit your Ready New York Material Request for National Night Out by July 8th.
2022–2026 FEMA Strategic Plan
The 2022-2026 FEMA Strategic Plan outlines a bold vision and three ambitious goals designed to address key challenges the agency faces during a pivotal moment in the field of emergency management.

Wide-ranging and long-term, the goals defined in the plan respond to the changing landscape in which we find ourselves. While some activities in this plan can be quickly realized, some will require efforts through 2026.
The plan outlines three bold, ambitious goals to meet this challenge.

These goals position FEMA to address the increasing range and complexity of disasters, support the diversity of communities we serve and complement the nation’s growing expectations of the emergency management community.

Quiz of the Week

Thank you to all who participated in last week's Quiz of the Week. The correct answer is: b) Juneteenth.
On June 19, 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Juneteenth is also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day.
NYC Department of Health: Extreme Heat
Heat is on average the greatest weather-related killer in the United States. Heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, yet annually many people suffer from the effects of extreme heat. Some individuals are at a higher risk for heat-related illness than others. Knowing the risk factors and symptoms of heat-related illness could save your life or the life of someone you love.

Explore this information about signs of heat-related illness, vulnerable populations, and preventative steps you can take. Use this Extreme Weather Order Form to obtain some of these and other NYS Department of Health materials.

For more information please visit: Extreme Heat Advice (ny.gov)
NYC CERT Uniform Reminder
The accompanying graphics show the current NYC CERT member uniforms that are provided by NYC Emergency Management. We want to remind all membership that all NYC CERT branded clothing or gear should be worn ONLY during NYC CERT events, including planned or emergency deployments along with the issued NYC CERT ID.

  • Green NYC CERT polo shirt
  • Yellow NYC CERT reflective vest
  • NYC CERT credential on NYC CERT lanyard in plain sight
  • NYC CERT baseball hat (optional)
  • NYC CERT windbreaker (optional)

For more detailed information please review the NYC CERT Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
MONDAY RADIO ROLL CALL

Call Scenario: Report the unit #’s of the radios your
Team possesses

Borough Channel: MN

6/27 Responding Borough: Staten Island


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: [email protected].

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
CERT Recruitment Event Opportunities at NYCEM Headquarters

This cycle, we are rolling out a new opportunity to do recruitment at NYCEM during a few of the basic training exercises. This is a great way to share information and literature on joining NYC CERT with any passersby that are curious about the exercises taking place outside headquarters. Consider joining other CERTs this summer for this unique opportunity to build membership!

Here are the recruitment event registrations:




4th Of July Independence Day Deployments
Coney Island
CERT volunteers will assist spectators' movement into the viewing pens and watch for spectators affected by crowding and heat-related stresses.

Long Island City
CERT volunteers will be supporting 108th Precinct with traffic and pedestrian control for the fireworks / Independence Day celebration in Long Island City

Roosevelt Island
CERT volunteers will be supporting pedestrian control for the fireworks/Independence Day celebration in Roosevelt Island.
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.

Search for Buddy Check Event
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
Coney Island Mermaid Parade
On Saturday, June 18th, seventeen volunteers came together from across the city at the Annual Coney Island Mermaid Parade. CERT volunteers provided support to Community Affairs with pedestrian traffic flow as the parade participants and spectators gathered on the boardwalk. CERT established an Incident Command System (ICS) structure with the following:

IC: Susan Flaschenberg
Ops: Craig Kligfeld
Safety: Darya Matskin
Coms: Alan Stoddart

Using ICS, they were able to manage several teams deployed throughout the boardwalk. During the event, our brave NYC CERT volunteers successfully found a missing child and reunited him with his mother at the event. Thank you Tom Wagner of Brooklyn Division 6, for your rapid actions to assist Community Affairs and locate the child!
NYCEM Commissioner Iscol Visits Basic Training
NYC Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol dropped by a recent CERT Disaster Basic Aid course to speak with a couple of students preparing to provide their go-bag presentations to the class.
FEMA Region 2 Preparedness and Resilience Bulletin: NYC CERT Spotlight
Monthly Division Meetings
Queens Division 4

The Queens Division 4 monthly meeting was held on June 21, 2022. The team discussed future plans for CERT activities in the community including National Night Out.
Icebreaker questions were given as a “getting to know you” exercise. The team really learned a lot about each other.
Brooklyn Division 3

On the evening of June 23rd, Brooklyn Division 3 came together for their monthly Division meeting this time led by Brooklyn Borough Coordinator Angela Thompson. The BC facilitated the coordination of tangible events for both new graduates and veteran member in attendance.
Brooklyn Division 5

This past Thursday, Brooklyn Division 5 members reviewed activity from the past month and even announced more events they plan to support locally and out of the borough as a Division. They are also currently determining which location they will support for the 4th of July as a group.


Download NYC CERT Background for use during CERT meetings and training in a virtual environment (e.g. Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.)
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Active Shooter Situation Awareness and Considerations
At the request of many of our volunteer leaders. NYC Emergency Management will host NYPD Detective Juan Maldonado providing an in-person Active Shooter situation awareness presentation and considerations for all NYC CERT volunteers.

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 management 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.