Concerned Citizens

By Kurt Latipow & Denny Neville

‘Did anyone really expect that we could save these homes? This is, after all, a classic wildland-urban interface area. Our chances of extinguishing the roof of this one — and saving the half-dozen others on this cul-de-sac — seem slim. Most had combustible roofs; the trees and brush were up against most houses. What were the homeowners thinking? Do they believe we can perform miracles? Will politicians stand up and accuse us of not trying hard enough to save what couldn't be saved?”

These were the thoughts floating through my head as my strike team deployed. After driving two hours on California freeways, we found ourselves in very familiar territory — this was the third time I had been assigned to protect this neighborhood in 15 years.

The next day at fire camp, the discussion turned to how many times we had repeated this same assignment. A rookie firefighter asked a simple question: “Chief, it seems like people who build homes in these areas should sign a waiver and an acknowledgement that they realize how dangerous an area this is, and that they don't expect us to save their home. Has anyone ever educated them about the hazard?” My first response was of course, we have public-education programs for these areas. Then he asked the kicker: “Do they listen to understand?”

In October 2003, Southern California experienced the most devastating WUI fire disaster in its history. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 739,000 acres were burned; 3,632 homes were destroyed; and 24 lives were lost, including one firefighter.

The newly elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and outgoing Gov. Gray Davis established a blue ribbon commission to conduct a review of the efforts to fight the wildfires and present recommendations to make California less vulnerable to disasters of such magnitude in the future. One logical recommendation was for each area to bring a realistic, meaningful and manageable education program to the people who live and work in the WUI environment. Of course, programs of this type have been fostered and implemented in many WUI communities. But what is the key to a program's acceptance by the public?

Many fire chiefs in California wrestle with this recommendation. How do you get the attention of a group that doesn't want to hear your message? With so many of these communities throughout the West (and elsewhere in the country), a program needs to educate residents as to the dangers and change behavior so community members take ownership of their own safety.

In the aftermath of the 2003 wildfires, many agencies implemented Community Emergency Response Team programs in their areas. This successful national program provides training to community members to prepare them for most calamities and catastrophes. In addition, residents who join a CERT also acquire a better understanding of how and why emergency services operate as they do. (See “CERTs Help Communities Help Themselves,” page 18.)

Although the CERT curriculum covers wildland fires, the information focuses on how to prepare for an evacuation. Some California fire chiefs wondered if the CERT program could be expanded to better educate the public about the WUI problem, which would address the recent findings of the blue ribbon commission. To address this challenge, four seasoned chief officers who had seen their fair share of fire-ravaged WUI communities sequestered themselves at a training facility over a four-day weekend. Each brought stacks of brochures, pictures, pamphlets and anything else they could find in their personal files and garage corners that might prove useful.

At the end of the weekend, the fire chiefs had managed to craft a PowerPoint-based program aimed squarely at teaching CERT members about the WUI problem and providing them with information on the behavioral changes that are required to live safely within the interface. This fledgling program went through many changes and revisions in the coming months, as the chiefs sought the input of people who had years of experience in designing safe environments, fighting WUI fires, educating adults and preparing education materials.

The refined program was presented to the California Fire Chiefs Association, the Fire Districts Association of California and the Firescope Board of Directors. Each of these agencies embraced the cause of using the CERT program to increase WUI public education. The fire service was on board. In addition, the California Service Corps, a program under the governor's office that empowers and supports volunteer programs, accepted the WUI project as a CERT component.

With endorsements in hand, CERT members who had already completed the basic course attended pilot classes of the new WUI program. The presentation is basic and focuses on:

• Interface dangers, including basic fire behavior and environmental influences.
• Wildland fire safety, including how to prepare homes, yards and neighborhoods.
• What to do when a wildland fire is threatening homes.

The program is composed of the PowerPoint presentation, an instructor's guide and a participant's manual. The instructor's guide offers tips on how to customize the information for local application. The guide and manual are presented in Microsoft Word format so that changes can be made easily.

The CERT students overwhelmingly expressed their support of this type of training, and they left the course motivated to improve the safety of the community. Comments ranged from “Now this makes sense” to “Why, I had no idea how dangerous this was.” These CERT members are now out in the community, carrying the program's message to their friends and neighbors throughout the area.

Fire in the interface happens in every state. Whether the fuels that endanger the communities are grasses, forests or anything in between, the reactions required by the public are the same: learn and prepare. Once the program became known in California, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, Oregon Fire Chiefs Association and other agencies have asked for and received the overview presentation.

In California the sole requirement is that the program be taught under the auspices of the local fire authority. Due to the subject's sensitive, life-safety nature, it's imperative that a knowledgeable authority be present to answer any questions students may have about fire environment, fire behavior, evacuation procedures and the interface.

This program does not train citizens to be firefighters. It's very carefully constructed to bring out the message about preparedness. Getting this message out to those who need it has been only partially successful in the past. With this opportunity to use citizens to help carry the message, we stand an excellent chance at success.

Kurt Latipow recently was named the fire services coordinator for Washoe County, Nev. is He previously served as chief of the Ukiah (Calif.) Fire Department. Latipow has served as the program lead for the development of both California's Fire Corps Program and wildland interface training for CERT members.

Dallas “Denny” Neville is the deputy chief for the Elfin Forest/Harmony Grove Volunteer Fire Department in Escondido, Calif., and administrator for the North San Diego County Dispatch Joint Powers Agency. He was instrumental in developing the Community Emergency Response Teams wildland-urban interface module and the California Fire Corps program.

Community Emergency Response Teams are formed by members of a neighborhood or workplace who want to be better prepared for the hazards that threaten their communities.

CERT programs initially were developed to assist communities in taking care of themselves following a major disaster, when first responders are overwhelmed or unable to respond because of communication or transportation difficulties. As the CERT concept has taken hold across the country, however, CERTs have become much more than originally envisioned. CERTs have proved to be an active and vital part of their communities' preparedness and response capability.

For example, CERTs have been used to:

• Distribute and/or install smoke alarms and batteries to the elderly and disabled.
• Assist with evacuations and traffic control.
• Promote community awareness of potential hazards and preparedness measures.
• Supplement staffing at special events, such as parades.
• Act as victims in training exercises.

CERTs are an investment of local government time and resources. To capitalize on this investment, program sponsors can view CERT members as a volunteer resource that can assist with public safety activities.

The best source of help in an emergency or disaster is the paid or volunteer professional responder. But if they aren't available to address immediate life-saving needs or to protect property, CERT members can help. CERTs are not intended to replace a community's response capability, but rather, to serve as an important supplement.

CERT members must keep their safety as their first priority. CERTs do not:

• Suppress large fires.
• Enter structures that they consider heavily damaged and dangerous.
• Perform hazmat cleanup or respond to radiological, chemical or biological events.
• Perform medical, fire, or search-and-rescue operations beyond their level of training.
• Activate or deploy unless called for in their procedures.

CERTs are considered Good Samaritans and covered under the Volunteer Protection Act, but CERT volunteers do not have any authority beyond serving as Good Samaritans. When deployed appropriately, however, CERTs can complement and enhance first-response capability in neighborhoods and workplaces by ensuring the safety of themselves and their families, working outward to the neighborhood or office and beyond until first responders arrive. CERTs can then assist first-response personnel as directed.

Using the basic CERT curriculum, CERT personnel train to prepare for a disaster or overwhelming event by:

• Identifying and mitigating potential hazards.
• Initiating plans to prepare for hazards.
• Learning skills to help themselves and others until professional response resources arrive.
• Working cooperatively as a team within their neighborhoods or workplaces.
• Maintaining a relationship with the agency that sponsors the CERT program.
• Participating in continuing education and training.
• Volunteering for projects to enhance the public safety of their communities.
• Understanding their capabilities and limitations when deployed.

In the course of their training, CERT volunteers learn to:

• Prepare for the hazards that threaten their communities.
• Apply size-up and safety principles.
• Locate and turn off utilities.
• Extinguish small fires.
• Identify hazmat situations.
• Triage and treat victims.
• Set up a medical treatment area.
• Conduct searches and rescues in lightly and moderately damaged structures.
• Understand the psychological impact of a disaster on themselves and others.
• Organize CERT members and spontaneous volunteers for an effective and safe response.
• Apply response skills in a disaster simulation.

Following initial training, the sponsoring agency has the challenge of helping CERT members maintain and improve their skills through a variety of training programs, exercises and special projects, all tailored at the local level to meet local needs.

When a disaster occurs and responders aren't immediately available, CERTs can assist by:

• Conducting an initial size-up in their homes or workplaces.
• Reducing immediate dangers by turning off utilities, suppressing small fires, evacuating the area, and helping others.
• Treating people in the immediate area.
• Working with CERT members and volunteers to establish a command post, staging area, and medical triage and treatment areas.
• Collecting damage information and developing a plan of operation based on life-saving priorities and available resources.
• Applying their training to situations where CERT members can make a difference.
• Establishing and maintaining communication with responders.

For more information on CERTs, visit www.citizencorps.gov.