Neighborhood takes emergency response role

Deepa Bharath

COSTA MESA -- For Diane Hill, emergency preparedness is not something

to be taken lightly.

The Killybrooke resident, who was instrumental in forming a

Neighborhood Watch in the Hall of Fame area, now encourages her neighbors

to take what she calls “the next logical step.”

She is publicizing, or rather reminding them about, the Fire

Department’s Community Emergency Response Training program started by the

city about five years ago.

Initially, the program was designed for local businesses, said Costa

Mesa Fire Chief Jim Ellis, who played a role in starting the program. In

the last year, the department has expanded it to include homeowners, he

said.

Hill’s neighborhood will probably be the first in the city to benefit

from the program in that all residents in the 11 streets off Fairview

Road south of the San Diego Freeway will receive information packets on

how to prepare for and act in case of a disaster.

The packet includes specific information on home first aid and

disaster kits, assessing one’s home for damages and injuries, and

checking on neighbors -- especially the elderly.

Hill said the program is a positive step that will keep the residents

alert.

“Once we take care of crime in our area, the Neighborhood Watch as an

organization tends to get dormant,” Hill said. “This is just another way

to get to know your neighbors and strengthen a network that is already in

place.”

The program basically divides the neighborhood into blocks. Each of

those will have a block captain who will lead that assigned area and be

responsible for coordinating activities for that block. Each street also

will have a leader.

Hill said block captains and street leaders must undergo the training

offered in the Community Emergency Response Training program. The

residents, too, are urged to take part in the program, she said.

Neighbors also will pick “buddy houses.” In the event of a disaster,

after making sure everyone in their own home is fine, residents will

visit their buddy houses to check on the people there.

Getting organized is the best thing any neighborhood can do, Ellis

said.

“I’m very proud of them for doing this,” he said. “If they go through

this type of preparation, it really helps us expedite treatment and care

to affected areas when disaster strikes.”

Rescue teams will check with block captains, who will report who in

their area is injured and the extent of the damage, Ellis said.

“It gives us a firsthand evaluation of the neighborhood right away,”

he said.

The move by this neighborhood, Ellis hopes, will also provide a

much-needed boost to the waning CERT program.

“It’s a great resource, and it would be a shame if not enough people

made use of it,” he said. “We also customize the program so people can

take it in groups.”

The department would like to take the program to city schools by the

end of this year, he added.

“It’s a free service we provide,” he said. “And we hope more residents

will take advantage of it.”

FYI:

For more information about the Community Emergency Response Training

program or to find out how to get a customized program, call the Costa

Mesa Fire Prevention Bureau at (714) 327-7400.