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Berks County Berks County CommissionersCommissioners

Thomas W. Gajewski, Sr.

Judith L. Schwank

Mark C. Scott

Counties have a long history of providing critical services. County

governments are the citizen’s local government voice, providing solutions that bring communities

together.

In recognition of the leadership, innovation and valuable service provided by all of Berks County’s

citizens, volunteers, employees and public

officials we would like to provide this informative presentation as a special

recognition for their efforts

Protecting Our Communities

America’s counties provide a variety of essential services. Many of these services work to protect our communities. Counties protect residents from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, crime and drug abuse. Counties are the first to respond to emergency situations and are primarily responsible for planning for disasters. Counties provide for open space and farmland preservation. Counties also work to protect families, children and youth and the elderly. There are 3,066 counties in the United States, collectively responsible for the well being of more Than 250 million residents. Counties provide services that make America’s communities stronger, safer places to live and raise families. Counties help troubled youth, train laid-off workers and perform countless other jobs.

Berks County 9-1-1 Communications Center

633 Court Street Reading, PA 19601

2005 Berks County Communications Center Compiled Statistics

• 184,612 actual 9-1-1 calls{90,936 wire line calls & 93,676 wireless calls}

• 258,704 additional ten-digit calls

• 156,300 law enforcement dispatches

• 58,473 fire/EMS dispatches

Providing Emergency Communications

9-1-1 Communications

Berks County Emergency Management

• Mitigation - Includes any activities that prevent a disaster, or reduce the chance of a disaster happening, or reduce the damaging effects of unavoidable disasters. .

• Preparedness - Includes plans or preparations made to save lives or property and help the response and rescue service operations.

• Response - Includes actions taken to save lives and prevent property damage and to preserve the environment during emergencies or disasters. The response phase is implementing your action plans.

• Recovery - Includes actions that assist a community to return to a sense of normalcy after a disaster.

• These four phases overlap.

Preparing for Emergencies

BERKS COUNTY

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EMA

The Mission of Emergency Management Is the Judicious Planning,

Assignment and Coordination of All Available Resources in an Integrated Program of Prevention, Mitigation,

Response, and Recovery for Emergencies of Any Kind. The

Emergency Management Program Represents Insurance to Protect the

County and Its Citizens When Disaster Strikes and Reduces the County’s

Liability for Hazards That May Strike.

In 2005, 209 reportable incidents were noted by the EMA Duty Officer.EMA took part in eight counter

terrorism Task Force training exercises and The Emergency Operations Center

was partially activated for a flood event and a Search and Rescue Effort

Berks County Fire Training Center895 Morgantown Rd. Reading, PA 19607

It is the mission of the Berks County Fire Training Center to provide current, topical, and safe training to emergency responders in Berks County. Further, it is our mission to ensure that this training is provided at a cost which will encourage attendance by those individuals, most of whom are volunteers. 

During 20055324 persons attended training332 individual training classes94 individuals completed

professional certifications

 

Training our First Responders

Fire Training Center

The Berks County Special Operations Group (SOG) is the operational arm of the Berks County Emergency Management Agency. The SOG facilitates professional and efficient response to incidents involving hazardous materials at locations within the borders of Berks County, the East Central Pennsylvania Counter-Terrorism Task Force, and any other location when requested by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA). The SOG works in conjunction with the local emergency response community to protect the safety of emergency responders and the general public from releases of toxic/hazardous substances whether the release is accidental or intentional.During 2005 the SOG Hazmat Team participated in two full-scale exercises, received 92 PEIRS –reportable incidents involving hazardous material (80% of which were a petroleum product)In 2006, the SOG will be working to stand up its technical rescue team to respond to incidents involving trench and structural collapse.

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SPECIAL OPERATIONS GROUP

Responding to Emergencies

•Preserve life

•Stabilize the scene

•Protect public and private property

•Protect the environment

Special Operations Group

Sheriff’s Office

Crime Prevention

 

I.D. Me is a child identification program that enhances the

Code Amber Alert System. The Berks County Sheriff’s Office captures a

digital photo of the child and stores it on the County of Berks secure

computer network. If the child would become the victim of an abduction,

the digital photo along with the child’s demographics would be sent to the Pennsylvania State Police for

submission to the Pennsylvania Code Amber Alert organization

, provided that the Activation Criteria would apply. If the

criteria is met, the Amber Alert System would then be

activated.

 

The Berks County Sheriff’s Office as part of the County’s Crime

Prevention and Community Policing

initiatives has presented confidential seminar where you can

learn the personal safety tips and

techniques you need to avoid dangerous

situations, and avoid becoming a victim.

The "Deputy Phil" program is a bridge to help us reach

our children to instill a responsible level of

positive attitudes and safety awareness. These

ideas are presented to our youth through a unique

series of illustrations and work projects. Informative

books, animated presentations, teacher

input and parental participation are the main ingredients of this valuable

program.

23rd Judicial District

Mission StatementThe 23rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania, located in the County of Berks, shall administer justice according to the law equally to all people, while providing independent and accessible forums for the fair and prompt resolution of disputes.

23RD JUDICIAL DISTRICT CORE VALUESThe officials and employees of the 23rd Judicial District value the following principles:

1. Building public trust and confidence in judicial process.

2. Providing expeditious and timely access to justice.

3. Maintaining equality, fairness and integrity in all that we do as judiciary

representatives.

4. Ensuring judicial independence always, while remaining accountable for judicial process.

BERKS COUNTY

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS

The President Judge of the Berks County Court of Common Pleas is the administrative head of the 23rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Berks County Court of Common Pleas Judges, Magisterial District Courts, and court services departments make up the 23rd Judicial District of Pennsylvania. COURT SERVICES PROGRAMS

Numerous innovative court-related programs have been developed and implemented in recent years.Court of Common Pleas

District Attorney

Mission StatementThe goal of the District Attorney's Office is to review, investigate, deter, and objectively prosecute all violations in order to protect the rights and ensure the safety of the citizens of Berks County, Pennsylvania.

The County Detective Branch of the Berks County District Attorney's Office is divided into three major divisions: (1)   Narcotic Division, including:        (a)   Investigation Unit;        (b)   Asset Forfeiture Unit;         (c)   Weed & Seed.(2)   Investigation Division, including:        (a)  Violent Crime Task Force;        (b)  Elder Abuse;        (c)  Domestic Violence;        (d)  Major Crimes;        (e)  Child Abuse;        (f)  Tobacco Control Enforcement;        (g)  Domestic Relations Warrant Unit;        (h)  Gang Intelligence Unit; and        (i)  Community Policing.(3)   Driving Under the Influence of

Alcohol (DUI)/Underage Driving, including:

        (a)   Sobriety Checkpoint ProgramCriminal Investigation

Agricultural Land Preservation

The Agricultural Conservation

Easement Program Encourages

landowners to make a long term

commitment to agriculture by offering

them financial incentives and

security of land use.    Under this program

Berks county as successfully preserved and protected 44,217

acres of agricultural land.

The Adopt-An-Acre ProgramProvides a mechanism

for individuals, organizations, and

corporations to donate funds to the Berks County Agricultural Land Preservation

Board for the permanent protection of farmland in Berks

County.Under this program 26 acres have been

permanently preserved with

$52,223 incontributions.

Preserving Our Farmland

Environmental Advisory Council

The Berks County EAC was established by the Berks County Commissioners in May of 2004 to assist the Commissioners in evaluating environmental projects and appraising how the County can best protect the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. The role of the EAC is to address environmental issues and to present solutions for the County to best deal with matters regarding the environment. The EAC functions as a think tank for the commissioners and was founded to be an objective party to help those in the decision making process understand complicated environmental issues more clearly and to provide unbiased solutions to issues that will have the greatest overall benefit to the entire community. 

• November 2004 - Berks County EAC unveils its website becoming the first EAC in Pennsylvania to integrate the PA DEP's e-facts system within a local website:  www.berkseac.org

• June 2005 - Environmental Applications Review Policy

• October 4, 2005 - The BCEAC unveils the Berks County Hazecam which is the first visual air pollution  monitoring device in the State of Pennsylvania. 

• April 2006- Children's Health Initiative including the County’s First Children’s Environmental Health Web Site and an educational booklet, entitled A Child’s World: children and the environment.

Protecting our Environment

The Berks County Office of Aging (also known as the Area Agency on Aging) is the department of county government responsible for planning, developing and coordinating services to the 70,000-plus Berks County residents age 60 and older and for certain long-term care services for adults under age 60.

Office of Aging

Protective Services are those activities authorized under

Penna. Law Act 79 "Older Adult Protective Services Act" to detect, prevent, reduce, or eliminate abuse, neglect,

exploitation, and abandonment of persons 60 years of age or older and are just one of the

services provided by the Berks County Office of Aging:

In fiscal year 04-05 the Berks County Office of Aging provided

protective services to 333 Berks County Citizens

Protecting our Elderly Citizens

Children & Youth Services

Our Agency is assigned to protect children, up to eighteen years of age, from abuse and neglect.  The staff investigate all reports of child maltreatment in Berks County.  For families at risk of future abuse or neglect, services and monitoring are implemented to ensure child safety and allow the children to remain in their homes.  For some cases, placement outside the family's home is warranted.  When this happens, the parents participate in services to allow the children's safe return.  For situations in which a safe return is not able to occur, the Berks County Children and Youth Services staff request that the Court terminate parental rights.  A permanent adoptive situation is located, often within the child's family and/or community.

Protecting our Children

Operation Safe Kids

Parents, Educators, and the Community working together to protect our kids from Internet Predators

•The Threats - How Real

•What Kids are doing with Computers

•Empowering Children with Knowledge

Protect children and assure their physical & emotional well-being as provided by law, and to preserve, strengthen & empower their families.

Council on Chemical Abuse serves as the coordinating agency for publicly supported drug and alcohol programming in Berks County. These services are made possible through the Berks County Board of Commissioners, tax dollars received from federal and state governments through the Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs (Pennsylvania Department of Health), the United Way of Berks County, and private monies received from client fees and private/corporate contributions.

2005 Annual Report

The mission of the Council on Chemical Abuse is to provide countywide leadership in the development and implementation of policies, programs and a system of prevention and intervention services that prevent the onset of illegal alcohol, tobacco and drug use and treatment services that promote recovery from addiction to all substances.

The Council provides prevention, intervention and treatment services through many Berks County organizations.

Prevention services protect members of the community from the risk factors of substance abuse and include Berks PRIDE, BUSTED!, Peer Mediation, Drug Free Express/DFX Kids Club, Earn & Learn Program, and Safe Homes.

Intervention Programs provide the opportunity for any substance abuse disorder to be successfully treated by allowing others the opportunity to intervene. These services include Mental Illness Substance Abuse (MISA) Program, Student Assistance Program (SAP), Second CHANCE Program, Teen Parenting Program, Berks County Youth Center Intervention Program, central intake and referral, Berks County Alcohol Safe Driving Program, hotline and drop-in services, screening and group counseling at Berks County Prison, Treatment Court, Berks County Probation and Parole services, and interventions through Berks County Children and Youth Services (BCCYS).

Treatment/Case Management Services provide management and care for a patient suffering from alcohol or drug abuse, in order to reduce or eliminate the adverse effects of the disease upon the patient and include Treatment Access and Services Center (TASC), Pregnant Women and Women with Children specialized services, MISA Program, and Transitional Housing. A complete list of services and agencies is available.

Substance Abuse Prevention

Council on Chemical Abuse