Mobilization for Countywide Emergency Preparedness

A Project of the Community Emergency Response Volunteers of the Monterey Peninsula (CERV)

CERV is pleased to announce the launch of a 19 month initiative to enhance the emergency preparedness of Monterey County’s most vulnerable populations. Under a grant from the state Office of Emergency Services, CERV will be able to provide funding and technical support to 15-20 community-based local non-profits that represent the most vulnerable and underserved populations within Monterey County and to conduct a broad public outreach campaign on behalf of greater emergency and disaster readiness.

HOW IT WILL WORK

Assembly Bill 72 appropriated $50 million to fund the California For All Emergency Preparedness Campaign to bolster statewide disaster resilience. The California For All Emergency Preparedness Campaign empowers Statewide community based organizations (CBOs) Partners like CERV to provide emergency preparedness education and resources to Monterey County’s most vulnerable communities, which can be described by social vulnerability factors including social isolation, poverty, language barriers, and other access and functional needs challenges, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and those in disadvantaged communities..

The state will provide CERV and other CBOs emergency preparedness education and then CERV will facilitate a community-wide local process to identify gaps and solutions in local emergency plans. Working with Local CBOs, this effort will leverage the power of peer-to-peer networks to organize vulnerable and underserved communities and to establish and implement tailored preparedness approaches that reflect their unique needs and challenges.

Subgrants to Local CBOs

              As a Statewide CBO Partner with OES, CERV will provide California For All Public Outreach and Education Campaign training and resources to vulnerable and diverse populations through subgrants to local community-based organizations, “Local CBOs”, serving those targeted populations in Monterey County.  These Local CBOs are expected to leverage the power of peer-to-peer networks to organize their vulnerable and underserved communities and to establish and implement tailored preparedness strategies that reflect the unique needs and challenges of their communities.

 To be eligible, Local CBOs must meet the following criteria:

1. Be a nonprofit organization with 501c(3) status serving communities in Monterey County
2. Be registered and current in reporting with the Attorney General’s Registry of Charitable Trusts.
3. Be listed in good standing with both the California Secretary of State and the California Franchise Tax Board.

CERV will subgrant funds to Local CBOs who will in turn provide emergency preparedness training and resources to vulnerable populations, and may serve as a fiscal sponsor for the selected Local CBOs. CERV will also train Local CBOs about emergency preparedness and incorporate the materials and resources provided by the state OES Campaign.  The number of Local CBOs that CERV selects will be informed by the regional picture of vulnerable populations CERV intends to reach. These Local CBOs will engage the greatest possible number of vulnerable members in Monterey County to reach the statewide objective of connecting more than one million Californians to culturally and linguistically competent support.

Local CBOs, who represent and connect to the region’s most diverse and vulnerable populations, will create and implement a peer-to-peer approach to engage and educate the community that reflects the needs of the target population. Each Local CBO will organize their community to establish a tailored approach, which will ensure their community:

1) Is knowledgeable about what to do during a disaster and considers engaging community partners such as faith communities, schools, community centers, etc.

2) Has emergency preparedness materials and access to information they need before a disaster hits.

3) Is clear on the steps to take to keep themselves, their families, and communities safe.

4) Shares final approach and results with the statewide Support Team.

CERV’s specific responsibilities:

1. CERV will identify gaps raised by community input, and propose solutions to strengthen local county emergency plans based on the community’s input from the peer-to-peer engagement and organizing process. CERV will share the recommendations on identified gaps and solutions with the statewide Support Team.

2. CERV will host a conversation to integrate the identified emergency preparedness needs of the community into local emergency plans as a joint effort with local leaders across sectors and with the County Emergency Manager, and CERV will share outcomes of the conversation with the Support Team.

3. CERV will capture stories of impact highlighting outcomes and results of the local strategies and connections made as part of this effort that illustrate the purpose and intent of the Program, and provide the stories to the Support Team. These stories will be provided primarily as videos, and may also include written articles and photos.

4. CERV will collect statistics for Progress Reports on a quarterly basis. Information collected will include, but is not limited to:

• Diversity of vulnerable populations trained.
• Number of individuals trained.
• Number of and type of organizations trained.
• Number of outreach trainings/events held.
• Peer-to-peer outreach plans for each vulnerable population to be engaged.
• Recommendations on gaps and proposed solutions to strengthen local county emergency preparedness plans.
• Outcomes of cross-sector community conversations on the community’s identified emergency preparedness needs.

California For All Public Outreach and Education Campaign

The California For All Public Outreach and Education Campaign (Campaign) statewide grant recipient will develop all Campaign products, including a one-hour preparedness curriculum (available in multiple languages) that CERV will be utilizing, as well as all messaging and advertising for this statewide effort. The Campaign will produce educational materials that they will provide to CERV to complement our outreach efforts. CERV’s grant budget earmarks funding for CERV to tailor specific additional educational materials to the unique vulnerable communities of Monterey County

The California For All Emergency Preparedness Campaign Support Team (Support Team) grant recipient will convene all Target and Statewide CBO Partners at least three times during the project to establish program parameters, provide training, and assess results. The Support Team will provide project management support and technical assistance for Target and Statewide CBO Partners, including CERV. As part of this role, an Advisory Team of representatives from vulnerable communities will be available to provide additional technical support to CERV during the lifetime of the project. As CERV develops the required program deliverables, the Advisory Team will serve as a resource for those interested in better informing CERV’s strategies to reach peer-to-peer networks and vulnerable populations.