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ITEM 7.2 Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT)ut j CITY 0tse' Co MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT INFORMATION Request for City Council Action ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: REQUESTOR: MEETING DATE: Administration Adam Flaherty, Finance Director February 13, 2017 PRESENTER(s): REVIEWED BY: ITEM #: Adam Flaherty, Finance Director 7.2 AGENDA ITEM DETAILS RECOMMENDATION: City staff is looking for direction from the City Council on whether to move forward with advertising to determine if there is interest from volunteers to form a Citizen's Emergency Response Team (CERT) in the Citv of Otse ARE YOU SEEKING APPROVAL OF A CONTRACT? IS A PUBLIC HEARING REQUIRED? No No BACKGROUND/JUSTIFICATION: The City of Otsego Public Safety Commission has been working on developing a Citizen's Emergency Response Team (CERT) within the City. There have been multiple meetings regarding this idea, and have included the Public Safety Commission, the City Council, Wright County Emergency Management and the contracted Fire Departments. The Public Safety Commission has drafted a document outlining proposed procedural points for CERT. This document is the culmination of many of the meetings mentioned above, and has been preliminarily vetted by City Staff. The document in its current state was written to be broad, but adequate enough to use as a resource for recruitment of volunteers. At this point in time, the Public Safety Commission is asking for permission from the City Council to advertise to determine the level of interest from volunteers to form a Citizen's Emergency Response Team (CERT) in the City of Otsego. Once the interest level can be gauged, the Public Safety Commission will determine whether to move forward with the proposal or not. This authorization from the City Council in no way is final authorization for the formation of CERT within the City of Otsego. If the Public Safety Commission moves forward with the proposal, it is understood that the CERT document will go through a more thorough drafting and review process with the Public Safety Commission, City Staff and City Council. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS: ATTACHED NONE • CERT— Proposed Procedural Points POSSIBLE MOTION Please word motion as you would like it to appear in the minutes. -Motion to authorize City staff to work with the Public Safety Commission on advertising to determine if there is interest from volunteers to form a Citizen's Emergency Response Team (CERT) in the City of Otsego. -Motion to approve funding for the advertising to come from BUDGET INFORMATION FUNDING: BUDGETED: General Fund — Public Safety Commission Not specifically. -or- General Fund — Emergency Management The Council did budget $1,000 for CERT in 2017 intended to be used on startup equipment. There is also $1,500 budgeted for education, training and conferences in each of the Public Safety Commission and Emergency Management department budgets for 2017. PROPOSED PROCEDURAL POINTS FOR A CITY OF OTSEGO CITIZENS EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (CERT) OBJECTIVE / DESCRIPTION The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of citizen volunteers who are trained in disaster preparedness for large-scale disaster incidents that may impact their community, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization and disaster medical operations. In addition, the CERT Team would also participate in Community preparedness communications in the form of information booths, websites and public speaking. The Team would also assist our Fire Departments at major fires with relief assistance (managing stations where firefighters take breaks). The CERT Team would also be available for any other tasks that city government would find appropriate. SECTION 1: AUTHORIZED STRENGTH A. The initial authorized strength of the Team will be 15 members, with the goal of maintaining at least 10 members. SECTION 2: SELECTION CRITERIA A. Members will be selected from the community that live or work no longer than 30 minutes from city hall. They need not be residents of Otsego B. Members will be appointed by the City Council after being interviewed, and recommended, by the Public Safety Commission, and will be selected as to their understanding of what CERT is. Only those that have a genuine interest in public service will be selected. Background investigations will be conducted on potential members in accordance with City Code Chapter 2, Section 8. SECTION 3: SEPERATION A. Members will be separated when they fail to maintain training. B. Members may be separated at any time for failure to adhere to acceptable standards of honesty and decency, as determined at the sole discretion of the City and including, but not limited to conviction of any felony or gross misdemeanor, or conviction of a misdemeanor which would reflect poorly on the City or which would impair the member's ability to serve on the CERT Team, as determined by the City. C. Upon separation members will return all issued equipment to the City. D. The City Council will be responsible for approving the removal of members based upon the recommendation of the City Attorney, the Public Safety Commission, the Emergency Manager or the Team Captain. SECTION 4: RECRUITMENT A. Potential new members will be recruited through the city newsletter, website and local media. SECTION 5: TABLE OF ORGANIZATION A. The Emergency Manager, annually appointed by the City of Otsego, will be the director of the Team. B. The Emergency Manager may -appoint personnel to oversee operations. C. The Team Captain will be appointed by the Emergency Manager. The Team Captain will conduct meetings and coordinate training. D. The Team Captain will appoint a recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall maintain meeting minutes and personnel records, consisting of name, contact information and training records. SECTION 6: ACTIVATION PROCEDURE A. Emergency activation of the Team will be authorized by: the Emergency Manager, the Wright County Sheriff's Patrol Supervisor, the Albertville Fire Chief, the Elk River Fire Chief, the Rogers Fire Chief, or the Wright County Emergency Manager. B. The initial response area of the CERT Team will be the City of Otsego city limits. If a mutual aid request asking the Team to leave the service area is made, approval will be required by the City Council or the Emergency Manager. INFORMATION DESSEMINATION A. Members are to direct news media inquiries to the spokesperson designated by the City. B. All information that members may become aware of is to be kept strictly confidential. MEETINGS A. Meetings will be initially conducted quarterly, to include training. B. The Team Captain will conduct the meetings using Roberts Rules of Order. C. The meetings will be open to the public. D. Minutes of the meetings will be forwarded to the City Clerk within 5 days.