Community Emergency Response Team

1

• Community Emergency Response Team
• CERT
• Funding and Grant Guidance

2
CERT Funding

• A variety of local approaches to obtaining funds.
• Some communities build costs into their budget
  while others charge participants to cover costs
  for instructors and course materials.
• In some communities, CERT organizations have
  filed for 501(C)3 (non-profit organization)
  status, thus allowing them to do fund raising.
• Grants to communities.

3
Overall Goal of CERT Grant Program Organize,
train, equip and maintain CERTs

• Objectives for use of CERT funds are
• SEMO to conduct CERT T-t-T courses to program
  managers and instructional teams from communities
  to initiate or expand CERT
• For local governments to initiate, organize,
  train and maintain CERTs
• For communities with established CERT programs to
  continue, maintain and expand these programs

4
Grant Eligibility Requirements

• Grants are available to local units of government
  and federally recognized tribal governments.
• For purposes of this Request for Applications
  (RFA), local units of government are municipal
  corporations defined as county, town, city or
  village under New York State Municipal Law.

5
Federal Priority Jurisdictions

• Per FEMA, priority will be given to applications
  submitted from
• Local governments that have demonstrated a
  commitment to family safety or to
• Local governments that have a high risk profile
  based on crime, disaster vulnerabilities, and
  public health issues.

6
Elements of a CERT Plan

• Planned assignment and use of CERT trained
  citizens in the community
• Identification and selection process for CERT
  trainers or T-t-T candidates
• Scheduling of CERT T-t-T courses
• Identification of the target citizen audience for
  community training
• Scheduling of community CERT training and venue
• Maintenance of a CERT membership database

7
Evaluation of Applications

• Applications will be evaluated regarding
• How clearly the proposed project meets CERT
  purposes
• Means by which pool of potential CERT volunteers
  are identified recruited
• Nature of the activities to be performed, cost
  and performance measures associated with
  activities

8
Evaluation of Applications

• Applications will be evaluated regarding
• Clear realistic timetable for implementing
  activities and achieving objectives and
• Experience and expertise of implementing agency
  and its instructors in conducting CERT training

9
Eligible Categories for CERT grant funding
include

• Instructor preparation and delivery time
• Program administration of CERT
• Creation and maintenance of CERT database
• Rental of training facility
• CERT members hard hat, safety vest, goggles,
  gloves and/or appropriate PPE.

10
Eligible Categories for CERT grant funding
include

• Printing CERT material to include IG, SM, job
  aids, brochures, certificates, postage, etc.
• Defraying the added expense of liability coverage
  for new or expanded CERT programs

11
Suggestions / Tips for Success!!!

• CERT funds are ONLY for CERT program
• Do Not request funds for equipment/supplies
  outside the scope of the CERT program
• Program success will be dependent upon
• buy-in from local executives and the emergency
  response community and
• the quality of the instructors conducting the
  CERT training
• Write grant objectives and performance measures
  to be accomplished within the stated funding and
  performance period identified in the RFA

12
Suggestions / Tips for Success!!!

• Read the guidance contained in the RFA carefully
  and develop grant application based on the
  guidance and
• FINALLY The next round of CERT grants will
  likely be far more competitive for limited
  dollars so the clarity of scope purpose as well
  as completeness of the grant will be even more
  critical!!!