DISASTER RELIEF WORKER

Recommendation:

It is recommended that Council approve the implementation of the Disaster Relief Worker Program as proposed beginning fiscal year 97/98.

Analysis:

A disaster, as it relates to public safety, is a situation which overwhelms the resources a public safety agency has to handle an emergency. A team of residents trained to assist Fire Department personnel during the response and recovery periods of a disaster, may lessen property loss and local area recovery time.

Staff is proposing an initial force of 30 Disaster Relief Workers (DRW) which keeps a manageable span of control for supervision and training. Applicants for the program will be required to be at least 18 years old and residents of Hermosa Beach. All applicants may also be required to submit to a background investigation and provide a physicians release to perform strenuous labor and heavy lifting.

The program as submitted will require each DRW to provide their own steel toed boots. The City will provide all other safety gear required for the program, i.e. helmets and gloves.

DRWs will be required to attend three hours of training per month covering subjects such as operation of firefighting hose lines, Loading and unloading of fire hose from fire apparatus, filling and placement of sandbags for flood control, CPR/first aid training, disaster preparedness at home and work, and lifting and moving of heavy objects using tools and leverage.

In addition to the above duties, the future goal of this program is to have DRWs trained throughout the City surveying their neighborhoods for property damage and injuries after a disaster. After this survey the DRW would then report the status of their neighborhood to the City's EOC, while providing basic first aid to injured neighbors.

DRWs will be registered through the Office of Emergency Services as Disaster Workers. Registration with OES enables workers to be covered through the State for Workers Compensation Insurance.

FISCAL IMPACT:

$5,400 One time purchase of safety gear.

600 Yearly for training materials and other incidentals.

$6,000