Jefferson County
Neighborhood Coordinators Program

- CONTENTS -


OVERVIEW - NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY COORDINATOR PROGRAM

The Jefferson County Office of Emergency Services is seeking volunteers to be Neighborhood Emergency Coordinators. The role of the Emergency Coordinator is to help the residents of the community prepare for emergencies such as Y2K disruptions, floods, storms and other natural disasters. The coordinator would also be the focal point for communication within the neighborhood when a disaster strikes.

The Office of Emergency Services is offering a 7-week course to train volunteers to be part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The first offering of this course is already underway (Nov. 8 - Dec. 20), but it is expected that the course will be offered again after the first of the year. The course covers disaster preparedness, disaster fire supression, disaster medical operations, light search and rescue operations, disaster psychology and disaster simulation. Participants who complete all 7 sessions will receive official certification as a CERT volunteer.

So far, volunteer Emergency Coordinators have been designated for nearly 75 communities throughout Jefferson County. For more information, to sign up as a volunteer, or enroll in the CERT class tentatively planned after the first of the year, call Tina Dove at the Office of Emergency Services (724-6759). In the evenings, you can call one of the Office of Emergency Services volunteers: Steve Baluch (Shepherdstown) at 876-2291, or Doris Walsh (Tuscawilla Hills) at 725 8930.



NEIGHBORHOOD EMERGENCY COORDINATOR RESPONSIBILITIES

  1. Attend training courses and meetings on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
  2. Prepare a complete neighborhood list including: name, address, phone, and (where available) cell phone, e-mail address
  3. Develop a communication chain covering all residents. Obtain names of group leaders to assist in organizing larger communities. Provide for a telephone chain, and one other alternate system in case phone lines are out.
  4. In preparation for year end Y2K problems, be sure all residents have a copy of the Jefferson County Emergency Preparedness Guide. Encourage residents who will be out of town January 1 to have a neighbor check on the house in case of a power outage.
  5. Make sure you have emergency information readily available: emergency phone numbers, location of nearest Red Cross shelter, nearest ham radio operator for emergency communication.
  6. Survey the community to determine residents with special needs who may need assistance in an emergency, and residents with special skills or equipment to help out in emergencies.

For suggestions, contact Steve Baluch 876-2291.
SAMPLE NEIGHBORHOOD SURVEY

Note - this form is not set up for on-line computer entry - please print out to use

One form per household:

  • Name___________________________E-mail _______________________
  • Street Address____________________Mailing address_________________
  • Phone__________________________Work phone____________________
  1. Do you want to be listed in a neighborhood directory? . . . . . . . . . . . . . YES   NO
    (Will include name, address, phone, e-mail, work phone, children
    at home with year born, and pets)   If YES: List children at home
    with year born, and pets:
     
    ______________________________________________________

    2.  
  2. Do you want to be part of a neighborhood calling chain to he notified of emergencies, community events, etc? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YES   NO

    3.  
  3. Does anyone in your household need special attention
    in an emergency? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YES   NO
        Check all that apply:
    _____Housebound individual
    _____Household member requires life support medical device
    _____Need alternate arrangements for children if school dismisses early
    _____Other ______________________

    4.  
  4. Do you have any special skills/equipment that would he helpful in an emergency? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YES   NO
        Check all that apply:
    ______Medical care professional in household, e.g. doctor, nurse, EMS
    ______Household member trained in first aid
    ______Household member trained in CPR
    ______Have abundant firewood and chain saw
    ______Ham radio operator in household
    ______Have swimming pool that could he used for emergency water source
    ______Have 4-wheel drive or all-terrain vehicle
    ______Have plumbing, electrical, construction skills
    ______Have snowplow
    ______Other __________________________

    5.  
  5. Do you want to provide the name and phone number of a family
    member outside the household to contact in an emergency? . . . . . . . . . YES   NO
    (As an alternative, an emergency contact can he posted inside the refrigerator,
    on a card taped in the upper right hand corner of the refrigerator door.)

    6.  
  6. Do you have a source of heat in the event of a power outage
    in the winter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YES   NO

    7.  
  7. If you will be away on January 1 or anytime during the winter, have
    you arranged for a nearby relative or neighbor to check the house
    in the event of a power outage? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . YES   NO

    8.  


If there are any questions about the Neighborhood Coordinator program, or any further information is desired, please call
Steve Baluch - Phone 304-876-2291
e-mail: baluchsj@juno.com

last updated Dec. 6, 1999
URL: http://www.intrepid.net/y2k-shepherdstown/Neighborhood.html