Disaster Preparedness Officer

[BHartman007]

I've searched both this board, and the internet in general, but I can't find much of anything on what a Disaster Preparedness Officer does. I get the overall gist of it, but I'm interested in what I will need to do from a "day to day" job function standpoint.

I talked to my SQ CC a bit about it on the phone, but I want to delve into it a bit more to see what I've gotten myself into

[sarmed1]

You mean Disaster Relief Officer.....right?


I think these 3 things are you most work intensive.....

Develop a unit disaster preparedness force capable of responding to appropriate requests.
Ensure the civil defense and natural disaster training programs are adequate.
Develop operational procedures for rapid alerting and assembling of disaster preparedness task force personnel.

as applys to this one

Know disaster preparedness responsibility of CAP in areas of operation.

Since there is no DR qualification, so basically you have to build a training program that fits either an actual DR tasking your specific local/wing may have or (more likely) figure out the most likely missions you will get tasked with taking into account any of the specific hazards that may be unique to your geographically disaster probables.

Step one-do a needs assessment.  What are the most common disasters that have hit your area?  Usually weather is a big one. Are there other catostrophic potentials?...ie nuke powerplants and the like. 
Step two- Based on those issues what mission has CAP historically done and/or is there a "hole" of some kind of response that CAP may need to fill or at least be able to augment.  On a side bar some of that may need to be "built up" based on interaction with existing agencies....and not be an "overnight" sort of mutual aid agreement.

Then either find training courses/programs that meet that need (or build your own).  Looking at the Disaster Relief Ribbon Criteria may give you some ideas for starters:

f. Disaster Relief Ribbon. Awarded for participation in five actual/evaluated disaster relief missions and completion of two of the following requirements:
(1) All of the following Red Cross courses:
     (a) Introduction to Disaster Services: How the Red Cross Chapter Renders Emergency Assistance
     (b) Disaster Damage Assessment
     (c) Shelter Management
(2) The Red Cross course, Damage Assessment Supervision in Disaster
(3) The Red Cross course, Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation and Advanced First Aid
(4) Radiological Monitoring for Instructors
(5) Radiological Defense Officer Course
(6) Airborne Radiological Monitoring Course
(7) Participation in other equivalent disaster relief activities totaling at least 40 hours of activity certified by disaster relief agency. This could include any training similar to the above courses and/or actual mission activity (in addition to the five required missions).

Also looking at the FEMA EMI course lists may provide additional training options.

After that, its just like ever other part of CAP ES operations,  make sure your people are properly equiped for the missions you expect to participate in, make sure the unit has the equipment to support the people on the missions, make sure your people are maintaining currency on their skills both by continuing training and excercise participation.  (again no national qual...you may need to come up with your own "requalification training"

As a side part to that I would also look at making sure you push general self preparedness by your unit members not as responders but just in general how to survive the usual expected disasters...home emergency supplies, know evac routes, shelters etc etc.... FEMA stuff for the general public.

hope that helps
mk

[Eclipse]

Those class topics will give you an idea of the duties, but most are no longer available.

[sarmed1]

Personally I would avoid the RAD courses unless that is something that is in your response area...... But here are the IS courses offered by FEMA EMI:

IS-836 Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex (DHS/FEMA/Emergency Management Institute)
Independent study program: IS-3 Radiological Emergency Management (DHS/FEMA/Emergency Management Institute)
Independent study program: IS-301 Radiological Emergency Response (DHS/FEMA/Emergency Management Institute)
Independent study program: IS-302 Modular Emergency Radiological Response Transportation Training (DHS/FEMA/Emergency Management Institute)
Independent study program: IS-331 Introduction to Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Exercise Evaluation (FEMA) (DHS/FEMA/Emergency Management Institute)

thats 41 hours according the the FEMA site; meets objective #7:

...This could include any training similar to the above courses...

And on a quick search it looks like Intro to disasters,  Shelter management and Damage assessment are still offered so its a doable list as far as training.

mk

[Eclipse]

Something else to fix - members can earn a ribbon for something we don't do anymore.

[BHartman007]

That helps me wrap my head around it quite a bit, thank you.
I did read somewhere on here that DPO was an obsolete title, and should be DRO going forward. I'll bring that up with my CC Monday at meeting. Right now I'm listed as DPO in eServices.

Here in Houston, our primary natural disaster is hurricanes.

We're having some FEMA training at wing HQ in a couple of weeks that I've been asked to attend, so I guess that will be my start.

[Eclipse]

We're having some FEMA training at wing HQ in a couple of weeks that I've been asked to attend, so I guess that will be my start.

Is that the PODS and Shelter Management classes?

We're doing that too.

[BHartman007]

We're having some FEMA training at wing HQ in a couple of weeks that I've been asked to attend, so I guess that will be my start.

Is that the PODS and Shelter Management classes?

We're doing that too.

Yes sir.

[Storm Chaser]

I posted a similar thread not long ago. CAPR 20-1 only has the duty position description for the Disaster Relief Officer. The Org Chart in CAPR 20-1, however, has this position for wing and above. At the squadron level, the position in the Org Chart has a Disaster Preparedness Officer.

Since I couldn't get a definite answer on this board, I contacted the CAP Knowledgebase. Their answer was that the correct duty title was Disaster Relief Officer. eServices, however, allows for the appointment of a Disaster Preparedness Officer, so the position apparently does exist. I presume that the duties of these two positions are similar, with the main differences in their roles appropriate to the organizational level. One would focus on relief efforts and the other one on preparedness and awareness.

My squadron commander end up appointing a Disaster Preparedness Officer, after all, since the main purpose for this position within our unit was to train and prepare us for a disaster.

[LTC Don]

This post will ramble a bit so bear with me.

SARMED's post was pretty spot on.  The number one thing that a DR guy/gal needs to do at the unit level is establish an active working relationship with your group/wing counterpart, and most importantly, a positive, working relationship with your county EM office.  ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS remember to invite your county EM office to ANY training you are conducting.  If you are the only unit for surrounding counties, invite those other EM staff as well.

The number one problem why our ground DR resources never get called is because of the lack of interagency collaboration and partnerships AND, knowing what the job entails.  And that, in my mind is a violation of Federal Law on our part.  The aviation program is important, but when we have thousands of CAP ground personnel sitting at home because we haven't done our job establishing partnerships with our local and state EM agencies, then that's a big honkin' FAIL.

This part strays quite bit off-topic, but it's been my belief that CAP needs to drop the current 'ES' structure, and redevelop that 'mission' as CAP Emergency Management (CAPEM), in much the same way the Air Force has re-structured into Air Force Emergency Management.  Our current philosophy and mindset with 'ES' is antiquated and no longer fits our needs.

The DR position is all about establishing local and higher partnerships.  The DR position is great for people on shift work so they can have time during the week to work with their EM counterparts.  If the DRO is one who only comes to the weekly CAP meeting and takes up space, they are doing a disservice to the position. It's often quite beneficial to have a wing ES staffer present when making a presentation to an EM office as they can present CAP from a 30,000' view which helps the local EM get a better idea of resource availability.

If your state has a statewide Emergency Management Association, and most do, join up, and begin attending the EMA conferences.  Your wing should already be a member, and your wing ES staff should be attending those conferences, if not already.

With those planned FEMA classes mentioned, that's a great first step because that's FEMASPEAK the local EM offices already speak so CAP can easily partner with state and local EM offices in that respect.  CAP should have jumped on the CERT bandwagon long ago as this is another program EM offices nationwide are aggressively seeking partnerships with as well.

As mentioned in other threads -
Points of Distribution isn't just about taking IS-26.

POD is in reality a huge undertaking.  North Carolina Wing has been involved with POD since 2010, under a partnership with our State EM.  Once you take the training and realize the logistics involved in running not one, but multiple PODs in a hurricane zone, reality is quite harsh.  BUT, because it's a specific tasking, it's one CAP is well-configured to undertake.  It's tailor made for both seniors and cadets, and with all the personnel logistics involved, it exercises all aspects of our infrastructure up to C3 level, and ICS principals.

IS-26 for our personnel is merely a pre-requisite. NC Wings POD course is eight hours with the first half of the day all classroom death by powerpoint.  The second half of the day is spent outside physically constructing a POD site and running the site through several rotations, giving several members the opportunity to work the different positions. We are fortunate to have a couple of POD kits of our own, but we have the ability to use our state-owned kits as well.  Again, we work in partnership with our state EM agency so we have excellent access to state resources when needed.  Once our members have completed pre-requisites and the classroom training, they are then considered 'qualified' and included on our wing-wide DR master alert roster.

What's a POD kit?  A POD kit is a 4'x4'x4' cube crate that contains all the materials to set up a TYPE III POD.  It contains garbage cans, cones, vests, gloves, flags, back braces, hard hats, pallet jack, etc. etc.  The kits are able to be stacked and stored until needed.

If you have members in your unit or wing that work in the 'Supply Chain' industry, they can be quite helpful when it comes to programs like POD since it's all logistics based tasks.

Point being, EM doesn't know or care what a CAP ground team is.  We (CAP) needs to speak FEMASPEAK so our local EM agencies know who we are and what we can do.  We need to provide qualified resources for POD, CERT, and other similar FEMA based programs.  These are specific, task based jobs we can employ ground team personnel to do, but without the CAPSPEAK no one understands or cares about. Which is to say, when needed, we report up how many Type III PODs we an staff or how many CERT teams we can deploy, not ground teams (which is a legacy SAR term that needs to be dropped from the vernacular).

As the DR guy for North Carolina for the last three years, it's been one of the most fulfilling jobs I've ever done in CAP, but it's been one of the hardest as well.

[Eclipse]

Timely as always.

[BHartman007]

Timely as always.

This is getting printed out and taken to meeting tonight :clap:

[Mela_007]

That's a great Cartoon! 

I had not heard of either a Disaster Relief or a Disaster Preparedness Officer.  I was just assigned as the assistant ES Officer for our squadron, but as new as I am I'm still learning.  We live in a hurricane zone (H. Katrina area), so this thread really means a lot to me.  Would it be silly to consider being both ES and DR Officer?  Or too much?  I don't think we've even considered a DR/DP Officer.

[Eclipse]

In the context given, an ESO is going to be concerned with the administration of training plans and programs, where as a DRP is a much more specific, task-orientated
job, especially at the squadron.

[LTC Don]

That's a great Cartoon! 

I had not heard of either a Disaster Relief or a Disaster Preparedness Officer.  I was just assigned as the assistant ES Officer for our squadron, but as new as I am I'm still learning.  We live in a hurricane zone (H. Katrina area), so this thread really means a lot to me.  Would it be silly to consider being both ES and DR Officer?  Or too much?  I don't think we've even considered a DR/DP Officer.

CAPR 20-1 is your friend.  It is one of the most important documents new members should become familiar with, in detail.
http://www.capmembers.com/media/cms/R020_001_73F1BA70FD9EB.pdf

[Mela_007]

Excellent, thank you.  I have read several of the regs both before and since getting my official membership, but 20-1 isn't one I had specifically heard of.  I will be looking that up today!!