MEMORANDUM

TO: Pete Sprague, Assembly President

Members of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly

THRU: Dale Bagley, Borough Mayor

Scott Holt, Finance Director

David Gibbs, Emergency Management Coordinator

FROM: Bonnie L. Golden, Grants Manager

DATE: December 19, 2003

SUBJECT: Ordinance No. 2003-19-32: An ordinance accepting and appropriating a grant from the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in the amount of $19,000 for developing community emergency response teams

Citizen Corps was created to help coordinate volunteer activities that will make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to any emergency situation. Officials agree that the formula for ensuring a more secure and safer homeland consists of preparedness, training, and citizen involvement in supporting first responders. One of the programs facilitated by the Citizen Corps is the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. It was established to help train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. When emergencies happen, CERT members can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site.

To assist local communities in developing CERT programs, federal grants were made available to provide the necessary start-up funding. Earlier this year, the Borough applied for, and was awarded, funding in the amount of $14,000 to implement a CERT program in the Borough. Additional funds have become available for CERT programs. The Borough was awarded a second grant in the amount of $19,000 to continue the work started with the first grant. Funds will be used to provide CERT training, which includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations. In addition to training, CERT funding may be used for purchasing safety equipment for CERT members, printing training materials and/or newsletters, and administrative costs.

Having trained, local volunteers will enhance the Borough's response capabilities in the event of a disaster. The Assembly's consideration of the attached ordinance appropriating the grant from ADHS/EM is appreciated.

Attachments: Ordinance and Notification of award from ADHS/EM