Berkeley CERT

Citywide Exercise

Participant Handbook

Saturday, May 19, 2012

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TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Background.................................................................................................................... 3 II. Purpose, Goals and Objectives .................................................................................... 3 III. Exercise Agenda........................................................................................................... 4 IV. Exercise Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 4 V. Exercise Rules ............................................................................................................ 5 VI. Safety Plan ................................................................................................................... 5 VII. Participation Checklist for Group Leaders.................................................................... 6 VIII. Exercise Day Activities ................................................................................................. 8 Appendices A. Communications Plan................................................................................................... 12 B. Sample Exercise Scenarios ....................................................................................... 16 C. Radio Communications Form ...................................................................................... 17 D. Example Radio Communications Form ....................................................................... 18 E. Name Badges .............................................................................................................. 19 F. Neighborhood Damage Assessment Form ................................................................. 20 G. Example Neighborhood Damage Assessment Form ................................................... 21 H. Exercise Feedback Form ............................................................................................. 22 I. Directions to Debriefing ................................................................................................ 23 J. Sample Publicity Flyer .................................................................................................. 24

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I. BACKGROUND The mission of the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) program is to provide training to citizens for emergency and disaster prevention, preparedness, and response and to promote neighborhood cooperation. The Berkeley CERT Citywide Exercise is an extension of that program and will apply key elements from the CERT training. This Exercise has been designed by the Berkeley CERT Exercise Planning Team, Berkeley Office of Emergency Services staff, Berkeley Fire Department, Northern Alameda County Amateur Radio Emergency Service and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service

, and the Berkeley Disaster Preparedness Neighborhood Network (BDPNN).

This Participant Handbook is intended to help individuals and group leaders plan and execute this Exercise. The group’s Exercise Controllers (person or persons planning and organizing the neighborhood drill) should use this handbook to customize the drill to the level of participation appropriate for their neighborhood. II. PURPOSE, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of the Berkeley CERT Citywide Exercise is to provide an opportunity for CERT volunteers to practice disaster response activities and the skills associated with operating a Neighborhood Incident Command Center. All individuals and neighborhood groups are encouraged to participate, regardless of their CERT training status or previous participation in City disaster preparedness activities. This year’s exercise will focus on one of the biggest problems in a disaster: communications. The goal of the exercise is for participants to practice effective communication on four levels:

1. individual (within families and out-of-area contacts), 2. within neighborhoods (to respond to emergencies), 3. with the City (through the fire station ham radios, the Berkeley Emergency Network

Services (BENS), and the 1610 AM radio), and 4. between neighborhoods.

At the beginning of the exercise, individuals should test their out-of-area contacts. The City of Berkeley will exercise its ability to send emergency text message alerts via BENS to the registered exercise participants. In addition, an exercise message will be broadcast via the City's 1610 AM radio. Neighborhood groups will use runners to deliver emergency messages from neighborhoods to the ham radio operators at their assigned fire stations simulating the complete failure of all telephone communications and of the 911 reporting system. This will test the ability to transmit emergency messages from the neighborhoods to the City’s Emergency Operations Center. This exercise will also familiarize participants with the ham radio message format. The sheer volume of messages will potentially become overwhelming during the first few hours after a disaster, and proper formatting will save time and thus, possibly lives. Neighborhoods are encouraged to connect with other neighborhoods during the exercise. CERT groups will be strengthened by collaborating with other nearby groups when additional resources are needed. Building relationships with other groups in the planning phase will make it easier to reach out to one another for help in a real disaster.

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The exercise objectives for all participating individuals are to:

1. Communicate with an Out-of-Area Contact (via text messaging on cell phones and calling on pay phones)

2. Receive an exercise text message from the Berkeley Emergency Notification System (BENS).

3. Listen for important exercise information on 1610 AM radio. The exercise objectives for participating neighborhood groups are to:

1. Demonstrate effective communications within the neighborhood. 2. Demonstrate effective communications with the Berkeley Emergency Operations Center

through the fire stations (via runners and also neighborhood ham radios, if available). 3. Demonstrate effective communications with another neighborhood group (if applicable)

Each individual and neighborhood group will determine which objectives are appropriate to attempt. The groups may wish to expand the exercise to include additional response strategies, or to scale back and practice fewer objectives. This Participant Handbook offers specific instructions on how to do this. If you are an individual participant, you may choose to skip ahead to Section VIII. III. EXERCISE AGENDA Saturday, 19 May 2012 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Citywide Exercise 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM Neighborhood Feedback Session 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Citywide Exercise Debriefing Exercise play will proceed according to the level and pace of participation chosen by the group’s Exercise Controller. The exercise will conclude after completion of operations and attainment of the group's specific exercise objectives, or 11:00 AM, whichever occurs first. IV. EXERCISE EVALUATION • Immediately after the exercise ends, participants in each neighborhood will gather for a

feedback session to discuss their comments, questions, and lessons learned. Each group leader will use the Exercise Feedback Form (Appendix H) to record their experiences.

• A citywide Exercise Debriefing will be held after the feedback sessions to promote mentoring of groups through sharing of their experiences. Since space is limited, groups may send one representative to the debriefing. Groups will bring their Exercise Feedback Forms and copies of scenario messages to the Debriefing. See Appendix I for directions to the Debriefing location.

• Feedback forms will be compiled into an official After Action Report by the Berkeley CERT Exercise Planning Team. The report will include recommendations for future exercises and programs based on comments and suggestions from participants. It will be distributed via electronic copy to all participating group leaders and will be available on the City’s Office of Emergency Services web page.

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V. EXERCISE RULES • 911 will not be used during the exercise. • This is a functional exercise, not a full-scale exercise. Any emergency response from

outside agencies (such as ambulances and hospitals) will be simulated. Groups that are simulating injured persons should simulate the transfer of injured persons to these agencies.

• For this exercise, the Berkeley Emergency Operations Center will not be formally staffed, other than to have a designated ham radio operator receiving messages.

• Weather for the scenario is whatever the conditions are truly present on the date of the exercise. The exercise will not be canceled except for truly hazardous conditions.

• All exercise communications will begin and end with the statement “THIS IS AN EXERCISE.” This precaution is taken so that anyone who overhears the conversation will not mistake exercise play for a real-world emergency.

VI. SAFETY PLAN Each neighborhood group must identify a member of their group as the Safety Officer during the exercise. The Safety Officer is responsible for enforcing the Safety Plan described in this section, and to intervene if any unsafe actions are undertaken by exercise participants. The Safety Officer should be chosen on the basis of her/his knowledge of basic CERT safety practices, understanding the potential dangers inherent in exercise activities, and leadership ability to stop exercise activities when the Safety Officer observes a hazardous condition. • Safety Officers will be identified with red name badges. (One red name badge is provided in

Appendix E to be printed and used by each group) • All participants are required to consider safety first and to alert the Safety Officer of safety

issues. Safety Officers shall have the authority to stop the exercise for their group, and they will immediately contact the Neighborhood Incident Commander or Exercise Controller.

• Should any person involved in the conduct of the exercise observe an unsafe condition, or sustain an actual injury, they shall IMMEDIATELY use the phrase “STOP EXERCISE” to alert everyone. The person will identify the unsafe condition to the Safety Officer.

• In the event of a “real” emergency that requires the response of professional emergency responders, “STOP EXERCISE” will be declared to end the exercise locally. Call 911 if needed. All real injuries of any nature shall be immediately reported to the Safety Officer.

• Volunteer ham radio operators from the Amateur Radio Emergency Service are considered “Disaster Service Workers." The Workers Compensation rules and coverage for California Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program apply during all declared emergencies and official disaster exercises, such as this citywide exercise.

• All other participants (neighborhood groups, individuals, volunteers, etc.) are NOT covered by the California Disaster Service Worker Volunteer Program.

If a group is only participating in the communications portion of the exercise and does not plan on responding to the scenarios in any way, then a Safety Officer may not be required. Use your judgment regarding the level of your group's participation.

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VII. PARTICIPATION CHECKLIST FOR GROUP LEADERS

Make sure your group is officially registered with the Berkeley Exercise Planning Team. Contact the CERT Coordinator, Khin Chin, at kchin@cityofberkeley.info or call 510-981-5506 to start the registration process. Provide the Point of Contact/group leader's name, address, phone number, and email address, along with your group name. Each individual/group will complete the registration form on the exercise website.

Confirm members of your neighborhood’s exercise planning team, and determine the date, time and location of exercise planning meetings for your group. Use the meetings to plan your group’s activities before the exercise and on the day of the exercise. Identify any resources you need to obtain before the exercise, plus any skills to practice in advance.

Identify publicity strategies to promote neighborhood participation in the exercise and in your group’s exercise planning meetings. Consider using the Publicity Flyer in Appendix J, or similar flyer, to advertise your participation.

Create/update your neighborhood rosters, neighborhood maps, and equipment lists.

Register for BENS emergency messages. See Appendix A for details.

Participate in the pre-exercise activities. This involves step-by-step preparedness handouts and reminders for your group members in the weeks before the exercise. Training materials will be posted on the Office of Emergency Services website several weeks before the event. These materials will prompt residents to become better prepared and to reach out to their less-prepared neighbors.

Identify the closest two fire stations to your neighborhood, including your assigned fire station. Consider the different routes from your neighborhood to these stations, and how they might be affected by a major earthquake. Check out this website for the assigned fire districts:

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=4260

Identify any other close neighborhood groups and coordinate with them (if applicable).

Identify a member of your group who will act as the Safety Officer during the Exercise. See Section VI for details of the Safety Plan.

Choose your group's scenarios for the exercise. Detailed exercise recommendations are included in Appendix A. . Sample scenarios are included in Appendix B. Groups are encouraged to create new scenarios to report. Neighborhood groups may also choose to simulate the scenarios and the group's emergency response during the course of the exercise to practice internal operations and communications. Groups should tailor the scenarios for their experience level. Review the exercise forms in advance.

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Participate in the Exercise. See Section VIII.

Berkeley Fire Department representatives will visit several groups on the day of the exercise. If they arrive in your neighborhood, the Neighborhood Incident Commander should be prepared to provide them with a simulated list of requested supplies and situations needing professional assistance. One technique is to use the Damage Assessment Form (Appendix F) to keep track of all neighborhood problems and need to be reported. In an actual disaster this type of information exchange may be helpful to professional responders. The Incident Commander needs to be prepared.

Record feedback on the Exercise Feedback Form (Appendix H) for the Debriefing after the exercise, but before 12 pm.

Attend the Exercise Debriefing between 12-1 pm at the CERT training center at 1011 Folger Street (directions to the Debriefing are located in Appendix I). Be prepared to discuss lessons learned or questions for discussion. Submit your completed Feedback Forms and copies of your emergency messages. Make sure your group name is on all your documents.

Plan a follow-up meeting with your neighborhood group members to build on the momentum of the experience. Discuss lessons learned, identify action items, and encourage additional CERT training and other preparedness activities.

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VIII. EXERCISE DAY ACTIVITIES Before the exercise: • Set up your group's Neighborhood Incident Command Center (if applicable) • Assign the positions of Neighborhood Incident Commander, Safety Officer, and Exercise

Controller (use the nametags in Appendix E) (if applicable) • Have all your plans in place for your group's actions during the exercise Start of exercise (for all participants): • Communicate with your Out-of-Area Contact • Receive the city's BENS text message (if you registered and signed up in advance) • Tune in to 1610 AM radio for the City's radio broadcast message Scenarios (steps are performed if applicable to your group): • Send out your group's responders to find the emergency scenarios (if applicable) • Communicate the scenarios to the Neighborhood Incident Command Center (if applicable) • Respond to the emergency scenarios (if applicable) • Prepare emergency messages about your scenarios using the message form in Appendix C • Keep a copy of all radio messages to hand in at the Debriefing • Deliver emergency messages to your assigned fire station • Communicate with neighboring organized groups (if applicable) • Meet with fire department officials (if they come to your neighborhood) and brief them on

what your group needs (equipment, professional rescues, etc.), using the Damage Assessment Form (Appendix F) as a template (if applicable)

• Fill out the Neighborhood Damage Assessment Form in Appendix F and deliver it to your assigned fire station near the end of the exercise (if applicable)

End of exercise: • Meet with your group participants for a feedback session to discuss lessons learned and

areas for improvement. • Fill out the Exercise Feedback Form (Appendix H) • Attend the Exercise Debriefing at the Fire Department Warehouse (Appendix I). Bring the

following completed forms with you: o Exercise Feedback Form o Copies of your emergency messages

• Plan a follow-up meeting with your group to discuss ways to improve operations Each group will decide, in advance, which activities they wish to attempt based upon their resources and skill level. Suggestions are labeled according to the required skill level, as indicated by the numbers 1, 2, 3: Level 1: Participants have little or no CERT training (appropriate for everyone) Level 2: Limited number of group participants and/or few with CERT training Level 3: Organized group Everyone can participate in Level 1 activities. These activities can be completed by individuals whether or not they are involved in an organized neighborhood group. These are the basic communication skills to have in an actual earthquake. Individuals will also be responsible for reporting emergencies directly to the fire stations when the normal 911 system is inoperative, so

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it is equally important for everyone to know where their assigned fire station is located, and how to deliver messages properly. Individuals (who are not part of a formal group) should consider delivering one scenario message (see Appendix B for sample scenarios and Appendix C for the message form) to their assigned fire station on the day of the exercise to become familiar with the procedures. Keep a copy of each message delivered to hand in at the Exercise Debriefing. Each organized neighborhood group (Levels 2 and 3) should create scenarios appropriate for their area to report to their assigned fire station. Neighborhood example scenarios are included in Appendix B, to be used as experience level permits. Groups should choose scenarios that are appropriate for the group's location (for example, don't choose a scenario where the BART tunnel has collapsed unless your group lives near a BART tunnel). Organized neighborhood groups may also choose to simulate the scenarios and the emergency response locally during the course of the exercise to practice internal operations and communications. Groups should also tailor the scenarios for their group's experience level. One way is to post exercise scenario cards on front doors of houses with the scenarios printed on them. Then have your group's responders communicate with the Neighborhood Incident Command Center to deal with the scenarios. Neighborhood groups will practice relaying critical information to the Emergency Operations Center by bringing concise, printed, form-written messages to the ham radio operators at their assigned fire stations. The communications form is in Appendix C, and an example of how to fill one out is in Appendix D. Keep a copy of every message that you deliver to the fire station. This will be used to evaluate the reliability with which the messages were delivered to the Emergency Operations Center. Participating groups should focus on the primary exercise objectives outlined in this Exercise Handbook, but groups are encouraged to modify the objectives as necessary based on their size, level of experience, and location. USE A SHORT, UNIQUE, AND DESCRIPTIVE NAME FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP! Remember to precede all radio transmissions with the phrase “THIS IS AN EXERCISE” when using your two-way radios during the exercise.

These activities are appropriate for Level 1, 2, and 3:

Objective 1: Communicate with an Out-of-Area Contact Call or text your Out-of-Area contact with a BRIEF message. Specify that this is an exercise and your message should not alarm your contact. In an actual emergency, telephone and cell phone systems can be overwhelmed. Text messages may be more successful than voice calls. However, you should also find the nearest pay phones to your home to help ensure you have many options available. Objective 2: Receive an exercise text message from the Berkeley Emergency Notification System (BENS) Receive an official text notification from BENS. Pre-exercise sign-up for text notification and registration is required to accomplish this objective. See Appendix A for details.

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Objective 3: Listen for important information on 1610 AM radio. Tune your AM radio to 1610 and listen for the message on that frequency. Radio 1610 AM is the City’s emergency information radio broadcast. This is one way that the City can distribute important public information in emergency situations. If you cannot hear the message, try moving to a different part of the house or a different part of the neighborhood. Also, try several different radios, since each one has different capabilities. Objective 4: Demonstrate effective communications within the neighborhood Teach participants how to use two-way radios, if available. Use FRS/GMRS radios (walkie-talkies) to demonstrate basic radio communication within the neighborhood. Discuss dead zones, frequencies and radio traffic issues. Practice radio use. Objective 5: Demonstrate effective communications with the Berkeley Emergency Operations Center through the fire stations (via runners and also ham radios, if available). a. Pre-exercise, identify the locations of the two fire stations nearest your neighborhood, including your assigned station. Identify primary and alternate routes from your neighborhood to these fire stations. http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/ContentDisplay.aspx?id=4260 b. Prepare and send messages to your assigned fire station (see Appendix C for the message form). Assign a runner to deliver messages to the designated ham radio operator at the selected fire station OR establish neighborhood ham radio contact with the designated fire station ham radio operator if prior arrangements have been made. Ensure the runner is briefed on duties, route, maintaining contact, what to do if no radio operator is on site, etc.

Add these activities for Level 2 and 3 groups:

Objective 5: Demonstrate effective communications with the Berkeley Emergency Operations Center through the fire stations (via runners and also ham radios, if available). Complete a Neighborhood Damage Assessment Form (Appendix F) and deliver it to your assigned fire station. Know that the Emergency Operations Center primary location is the City building at 2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, and the secondary location (if the primary location is unusable) is at the CERT training center at 997 Cedar St.

Add these activities for Level 3 groups:

Objective 4: Demonstrate effective communications within the neighborhood a. Set up a Neighborhood Incident Command Center. It is strongly suggested that the Neighborhood Incident Command Center be completely set up prior to the start of the exercise at 9:00 am. This will give participants a chance to arrive and check in without waiting for the command staff to set up status boards, reception tables, etc. b. Practice using two-way radios to control response teams in the field. Use radios to control reassignment of duties and problem-solving without having the teams return to the Neighborhood Incident Command Center. c. Maintain a radio communication log. Log all radio contacts. A sample radio log is available at the Berkeley CERT website. www.cityofberkeley.info\\uploadedFiles\\Fire\\Level_3_-_General\\communicationslog.pdf

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d. Practice changing the radio frequency without recalling teams to the Neighborhood Incident Command Center. e. Practice a change of command while maintaining situational awareness and effective communication among participants. Determine appropriate replacements for key command staff positions. Change command with a briefing on neighborhood status and announcement to teams in the field. Ensure full briefings of all activities to-date on the hand-over. Objective 6: Demonstrate effective communications with another neighborhood group (if applicable and arranged in advance) a. Prepare and send a message to a neighboring group by runner. Practice creating a written message using plain, concise language. Discuss how to obtain official information (such as commercial radio and TV sources, City text messages) vs. unreliable word of mouth or rumor. Assign a runner to deliver the message to the neighboring group. Ensure the runner is briefed on duties, route, maintaining contact, what to do if message not delivered, etc. Decide whether to actually dispatch the runner to the other group or simulate it. Map primary and alternate routes from your neighborhood to these groups. b. Establish radio contact with neighboring groups and facilitate area communication. Discover neighboring group frequencies. Offer to relay radio messages for neighboring groups as needed.

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APPENDIX A. COMMUNICATIONS PLAN Everyone participating in the exercise is encouraged to attempt one or more objectives related to emergency communications. The following sections provide basic guidelines for the various methods of communication outlined in this exercise. A. City Messages The City of Berkeley has a phone/text alert system called BENS (Berkeley Emergency Notification System) where community members can subscribe to receive messages in a variety of ways. All exercise participants are encouraged to sign up for these alerts prior to the exercise. Here are the easy instructions to subscribe to the alerts of choice: • Go to https://alertregistration.com/Berkeley. • Fill out the form on the screen. You can enter a home phone, a cell phone, or both. • You can add an email address for email alerts. • On the bottom of the page, click the “ADD MY CONTACT INFO” button and you’re done! For the May 19th

Exercise, group leaders will need to identify exercise participants who wish to receive a BENS exercise text message during the registration process. On the morning of the exercise, BENS text messages will be sent to participants.

Lastly, all participants are encouraged to listen to the city's emergency radio frequency at 1610 AM. Listen for important exercise information. B. Out-of-Area Contact Phone Calls and Text Messages In an emergency, communication within the disaster area may be severely restricted. Real life experience shows that it can be easier to reach someone far away than a person located within the disaster area. This is due to overload conditions on the telephone and cell phone systems. Texting may be possible even when cell phone systems are unable to handle voice calls. An Out-of-Area Contact for your family can receive and relay information to you about other family members. Everyone in the family should know who that person is and be prepared to call or text them with BRIEF messages such as where they are, how they are, what they plan to do next, and the TIME. This can help locate and reunite family members. On the day of the Citywide Exercise, everyone should contact their Out-of-Area contact with a brief text message. Be sure to clearly state that this is an exercise, NOT a real event. Remind your contact of their important role as part of your family’s communication plan. Participants may consider doing this drill earlier in the day, if desired. A possible text message might be: “Earthquake exercise today. I am sending you my location, condition, intentions, and time. You are our family’s emergency contact and should keep a record of all these messages, including responding to every message. This is only an exercise.” If possible, also locate the nearest 2 working pay phones to your home and/or office. Quick phone calls can achieve the same thing as text messages, if you can get through.

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C. Communication Within the Neighborhood Two basic methods of communication within the neighborhood are using two-way radios (walkie-talkies) and sending written messages with a runner. Each method has its benefits and drawbacks. Two-way radios can complicate matters if users do not follow basic radio protocols, or if the radio reception is poor. Runners take more time, but the message is more likely to get through. When using two-way radios within your neighborhood: • Remember to precede all radio transmissions with

the phrase “THIS IS AN EXERCISE” when using your two-way radios during the exercise.

• Be aware of any areas of your neighborhood where the radios may not work (“dead zones”).

• Use plain language (without codes or acronyms). Some common radio terms, such as “Copy,” “Over” and “Out”, are easy to remember and will help keep your radio transmissions clear, organized and brief. The generic radio call includes: Who you are calling, who you are, and what you need.

• USE AN OFFICIAL NAME FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP! Pick something short and descriptive of your location (such as Shattuck and University, or 1900 Stuart). There may be hundreds of radios in use during a disaster, with everyone possibly competing for an open frequency. Make sure everyone in your group is using your group's official name in their transmissions to avoid confusion with another group's transmissions.

• Tape a cheat-sheet of important reminders on the back of your radios, including the name of the team associated with the radio.

• Plan for message relay points to cover dead zones in your neighborhood. A second person with a radio located between the Command Center and the dead zone can relay messages.

Runners: Confusion is less likely when sending a written message with a runner who can confirm or clarify the message in person. Write your messages legibly. Using runners can be a drain on your resources, but it is a possible use of untrained volunteers. Using runners within your neighborhood: • When a response team is sent on assignment without a two-way radio, send an extra person

on the team as a runner to convey important information back to the Neighborhood Incident Command Center.

• Runners should always carry a pad of paper and a writing instrument. Duplicate or triplicate paper, such as telephone message pads, can preserve a record of messages delivered.

• Make sure runners have clear instructions about where to go, when and where to report back, and safety precautions along the way.

• Runners can be even more effective if they use bicycles, skate boards, or other transport. Use caution for debris, especially sharp objects that can puncture tires.

• For this exercise, runners don't have to "run" to deliver messages. In an actual emergency, running may be necessary to ensure emergency messages are delivered as quickly as possible.

D. Communication from the Neighborhood to the Emergency Operations Center

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If the 911 system is down, individuals and neighborhoods may be able to report emergency information to the City Emergency Operations Center via their local fire stations and the ham radio operators. Be advised that help may not arrive for several days due to higher priorities. However, all information must be reported so that Emergency Operations Center is aware of the needs. Keep the following points in mind when preparing to send a message: • Messages should be hand-written on the ham radio forms (Appendix C) and approved by

the Neighborhood Incident Commander. See Appendix D for an example. • All messages should contain the following information: group name and location, full exact

address (including St. or Ave.) of the incident you are reporting, including building/unit number, zip code, and the type of report (status report or request for assistance). Give concise details such as the extent of the problem and the number of people affected.

• Each message must cover only one issue. Send separate messages for separate issues. This allows the Emergency Operations Center personnel to route your messages to the correct agencies.

• The written message should be delivered to a ham radio operator (either in your neighborhood or in your assigned fire station) who will relay the message to the Emergency Operations Center. For the purpose of this exercise, do not attempt to hand-deliver the written messages directly to the City’s Emergency Operations Center, because the Emergency Operations Center will not be staffed. In a real disaster, delivery to the Emergency Operations Center may or may not be possible.

• The locations of additional participating ham radio operators in the neighborhoods will be shared with participants before the exercise. These neighborhoods may choose to send emergency messages to the Emergency Operations Center ham radio operator directly, if coordinated in advance.

In addition, the Berkeley Fire Department and Office of Emergency Services request that CERT groups provide information on damaged structures, injuries, and fatalities to the Emergency Operations Center in the hours and days following an actual incident. This information will be requested immediately following the disaster, and updates will be requested on a regular basis. See Appendix F for the Neighborhood Damage Assessment Form and Appendix G for an example of how to fill out the form. E. Communication Outside of the Neighborhood to Another Group CERTs train to be self-sufficient in the initial 3-7 days after a major disaster. However, while each neighborhood must prepare to be on its own, there may be other neighborhood groups that can help. CERT encourages organized groups to coordinate in advance to plan how they can help each other in times of disaster. Here are some basic steps to start this process: • Register for the exercise and indicate that your group is interested in sharing contact

information with other exercise participants. The Berkeley Exercise Planning Team will notify interested groups of any nearby groups so they can coordinate their exercise activities.

• Once contact is made, brief each other on the status of your neighborhood groups (such as your experience level, websites, equipment, capabilities, evacuation plans, etc).

• Plan how a runner from your group will reach the other group, if needed. Examine possible hazards along the way.

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• Consider hosting a joint meeting of both groups to share best practices and discuss issues of common concern, such as a unique hazard in your area (e.g., BART tunnels).

• Try sending radio messages between the two groups before the exercise starts to determine if you can communicate directly, or if you’ll be completely reliant on runners.

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APPENDIX B. SAMPLE EXERCISE SCENARIOS Deliver succinct messages to your local fire station for transmission by the ham radio operator there to the ham radio operator at the City’s Emergency Operations Center. Some sample messages follow, but you are free to make up your own messages. If you use one of the sample messages, please include the message number. 1. A large tree branch fell onto the power lines at __________________(address). The power

line is not sparking and still appears to be connected, but just barely.

2. An elderly man is trapped under a piano at ___________________(address). He is conscious, but his leg is clearly broken.

3. There is a diabetic teenager at __________________(address). All his insulin is in his collapsed house. He needs insulin within 4 hours.

4. There are 3 German Shepherd dogs travelling together that are loose near ___________________(address) that are acting viciously towards anyone who approaches them.

5. A total of ____(number) houses in the neighborhood near __________________(address) have collapsed. Everyone is safe, but _____(number) people are homeless and without basic supplies.

6. One woman currently at ______________________(address) has a serious head injury and is unconscious. She is receiving first-aid medical attention.

7. The gas station at the corner of _____________(street) and ______________(street) has a strong smell of gasoline from a broken gas pump. There is no fire at this time.

8. Several individuals are breaking into the stores at __________________(address) and stealing things.

9. One large oak tree has fallen onto _____________________ (street) near _________________(address), and the road is impassable.

10. All the windows from the office building at ___________________(address) have broken, and the glass fell onto the sidewalk. There are _____(number) people with life-threatening bleeding injuries who need medical attention.

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APPENDIX C. RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FORM

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APPENDIX D: EXAMPLE RADIO COMMUNICATIONS FORM

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APPENDIX E. NAME BADGES

INCIDENT

COMMANDER

SAFETY OFFICER

EXERCISE

CONTROLLER

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APPENDIX F. NEIGHBORHOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FORM

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APPENDIX G. EXAMPLE NEIGHBORHOOD DAMAGE ASSESSMENT FORM

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APPENDIX H. EXERCISE FEEDBACK FORM Please print clearly and use the reverse side or additional paper as needed. Please also include copies of your emergency messages to hand in at the Debriefing. Group/Individual Name: Neighborhood Incident Command Center Address: (If you don’t have a Command Center yet, use the address where you gathered today.)

Total # of Participants at your Site during the Citywide Exercise: # of Participants CERT-Trained: ____________ (who have ever taken any CERT class) # of Participants not CERT-Trained: _________(who have never taken any CERT class) # of Participants who reached their Out-of-Area Contact: _________ # of Participants who received a BENS text message: __________ # of Participants who heard the 1610 AM radio message: __________ Did you practice group radio procedures? YES NO Was it successful? YES NO # of scenario messages delivered: ______ to fire station # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (circle those used) Did you attempt to contact another group? YES NO Were you successful? YES NO WHAT WORKED WELL WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT LESSONS LEARNED UNRESOLVED CONCERNS RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR’S BERKELEY EXERCISE PLANNING TEAM

Please return this completed form at the Citywide Exercise Debriefing, or send it to the CERT Coordinator as soon as possible after the Exercise. (email: kchin@cityofberkeley.info; mail: Khin Chin, 2100 Martin Luther King Jr. Way,2nd Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704)

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APPENDIX I. DIRECTIONS TO DEBRIEFING The Berkeley CERT Citywide Exercise Debriefing will be held at the Fire Department Warehouse: 1011 Folger St. Berkeley CA 94710 The Debriefing will begin promptly at 12 noon. Street parking is available. Please plan to send only 1 representative per neighborhood group. Seating will be limited. Bring your Feedback Forms and copies of your exercise scenario messages.

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Appendix J. Sample Publicity Flyer

EARTHQUAKE EXERCISE

Berkeley CERT Citywide Exercise

Saturday, May 19 9 AM to 11 AM

Come join your neighbors in the exercise to

better prepare for earthquakes. Contact person: _____________________ Phone: ____________________________ Email: _____________________________