ROCKWALL COUNTY VIP Volunteers Informed & Prepared

Public Health Emergency Support Volunteer Organization

Rockwall County is striving to train a minimum of 600 volunteers NOW, as disaster could strike anytime. ROCKWALL COUNTY VIP would like to make training available to as many persons as possible and we recognize that many of our citizens may be unable to attend training sessions due to their personal schedules. No one should be discouraged from volunteering due to time constraints. Training is less than 9-12 hours total and consists of classroom style lectures, online web courses, mock dispensing exercises and information provided through ongoing email & phone.

Training will include:

1. Attending or viewing a New Volunteer Orientation consisting of a one hour Power Point presentation to familiarize new volunteers with the Cities Readiness Initiative, the Strategic National Stockpile and an overview of the role of volunteers in supporting mass dispensing operations. Click Here for a printable version of the New Volunteer Orientation presentation.

(Scroll Down for additional training opportunities) 

2. All Volunteers will be notified of their Role and placement on a Point of Dispensing Team and will be distributed a Job Action Sheet via email or fax/mail. Job Action Sheets will give volunteers a basic overview of the responsibilities and duties of their assigned position. In the upcoming months Rockwall County VIP will offer role training courses. Check the Calendar page often for updates on training.

3. All volunteers will have the opportunity to practice their assigned role during a countywide Functional Dispensing Drill Exercise this Fall. Check back for updates.

Additional Training is available & highly recommended, but not required for all volunteers:

CORE & SECTION LEADERS are needed for all Point of Dispensing Sites. If interested in serving in a more active leadership role, click on the link above to review the duties and responsibilities of the various positions and contact us at volunteers@rockwallcountytexas.com. 

Just-In-Time Training will be offered for new volunteers wanting to register onsite during an emergency.

Roles are available for adults and children of all ages interested in serving as Mock Patients during the Countywide Full Scale Exercise this Fall. Check back for updates.

NEW VOLUNTEER TRAINING:

New Volunteer CRI Orientation Presentation

New Volunteer CRI Orientation Presentation Notes

Community Emergency Medication Clinic/Point of Dispensing Site (POD) Organizational Chart

OFF SITE TRAINING:

(Highly recommended, but not required for volunteers)

Mass Dispensing Sites: A Primer for Volunteers:

This online training course, developed by the University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Center for Public Health Preparedness, provides a general overview of dispensing sites for volunteers. As an initial orientation tool, it is designed to compliment just-in-time training and includes a self-assessment of how the participant could contribute to a mass dispensing site.

Objectives:

• The role of volunteers in emergency response
• Key issues volunteers need to know
• Why mass dispensing is a priority for planning, training, and exercises
• How the Strategic National Stockpile fits into the response to a public health emergency
• Challenges to operating a mass dispensing site
• Dispensing site design and flow
• Key staffing positions & Command structure

http://cpheo1.sph.umn.edu/massdisp/index.html

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-22 Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness

The "Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness" has been designed to help the citizens of this nation learn how to protect themselves and their families against all types of hazards. It can be used as a reference source or as a step-by-step manual. The focus of the content is on how to develop, practice, and maintain emergency plans that reflect what must be done before, during, and after a disaster to protect people and their property. Also included is information on how to assemble a disaster supplies kit that contains the food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity for individuals and their families to survive.

There are real benefits to being prepared.

• Being prepared can reduce fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany disasters.
• Communities, families, and individuals should know what to do in the event
  of a fire and where to seek shelter during a tornado. They should be ready to evacuate their homes and take refuge in public shelters and know how to care for their basic medical needs.
• People also can reduce the impact of disasters (flood proofing, elevating a home or moving a home out of harm’s way, and securing items that could shake loose in an earthquake) and sometimes avoid the danger completely.
• By reading and following the instructions in this guide you and your family can say, Yes, we are ready!

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is22.asp

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System, I-100

ICS 100, Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training. This course describes the history, features and principles, and organizational structure of the Incident Command System. It also explains the relationship between ICS and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).

The Emergency Management Institute developed ICS 100, Introduction to ICS (IS-100) course, in collaboration with:

• National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG)
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• USFA's National Fire Programs Branch

Audience: Persons involved with emergency planning, response or recovery efforts.

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is100.asp

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-200 ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents

ICS 200 is designed to enable personnel to operate efficiently during an incident or event within the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS-200 provides training on and resources for personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory position within the ICS. IS-100 is a pre-requisite to the IS-200 course. The training is comprised of the following lessons:

Unit 1: Course Overview
Unit 2: Leadership & Management
Unit 3: Delegation of Authority & Management by Objectives
Unit 4: Functional Areas & Positions
Unit 5: Briefings
Unit 6: Organizational Flexibility
Unit 7: Transfer of Command
Unit 8: Course Summary

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is200.asp

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-700 National Incident Management System (NIMS), An Introduction

On February 28, 2003, President Bush issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5. HSPD-5 directed the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). NIMS provides a consistent nationwide template to enable all government, private-sector, and nongovernmental organizations to work together during domestic incidents. You can also find information about NIMS at http://www.fema.gov/nims/

This course introduces NIMS and takes approximately three hours to complete. It explains the purpose, principles, key components and benefits of NIMS. The course also contains "Planning Activity" screens giving you an opportunity to complete some planning tasks during this course. The planning activity screens are printable so that you can use them after you complete the course. What will I be able to do when I finish this course?

• Describe the key concepts and principles underlying NIMS.
• Identify the benefits of using ICS as the national incident management model.
• Describe when it is appropriate to institute an Area Command.
• Describe when it is appropriate to institute a Multiagency Coordination System.
• Describe the benefits of using a Joint Information System (JIS) for public information.
• Identify the ways in which NIMS affects preparedness.
• Describe how NIMS affects how resources are managed.
• Describe the advantages of common communication and information management systems.
• Explain how NIMS influences technology and technology systems.
• Describe the purpose of the NIMS Integration Center

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is700.asp

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-288 The Role of Voluntary Agencies in Emergency Management

This independent study course provides a basic understanding of the history, roles, and services of disaster relief voluntary agencies in providing disaster assistance. It is appropriate for both the general public and those involved in emergency management operations.

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is288.asp

FEMA Independent Study Program: IS-394.A Protecting Your Home or Small Business From Disaster

The Emergency Management Institute is pleased to announce the newly revised independent study course, IS-394.A Protecting your Home or Small Business from Disaster. The course replaces IS-394 Mitigation for Homeowners.

The purpose of this course is to provide a foundation of knowledge that will enable participants to:

• Describe different types of natural disasters
• Describe hazards that pose a risk to their home or small business
• Explain how protective measures can reduce or eliminate long-term risks to their home and personal property from hazards and their effects
• Explain how protective measures for small businesses secure people, business property, and building structures and prevent business loss from a natural disaster

The primary audience for IS-394.A, like its predecessor, is business owners, homeowners, and individual citizens. It is presented in a nontechnical format and includes protective measures that can reduce the negative consequences of disasters on homes or small businesses.

http://www.training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/IS394A.asp

*VOLUNTEERS, please make sure to keep your contact information up-to-date. If you should need to update your e-mail address or contact numbers, send an e-mail to volunteers@rockwallcountytexas.com. 

DISCLAIMER: Training Files do not contain Planning Information and can be located and viewed at numerous locations on the internet. However, County POD locations, Transportation Routes, Clinic Flow Plans and Standard Operating Guidelines are confidential and are not on this site. 

Knowledge and training defeats fear...

 Plan, Prepare, VOLUNTEER!